Prominent Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre dies, aged 41
Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse, has died by suicide at her home in Western Australia, aged 41.
Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse, has died by suicide.
“It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia,” her family said in a statement provided to The Australian.
On Saturday in Perth, West Australian police confirmed the death.
“About 9.50pm Friday 25 April 2025, emergency services received a report a woman had been located unresponsive at a residence in Neergabby,” police media said.
“Police and St John WA attended and provided emergency first-aid. Sadly, the 41-year-old woman was declared deceased at the scene.
“The death is being investigated by Major Crime detectives; early indication is the death is not suspicious.”
The family statement said Ms Giuffre had “lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking”.
“Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors. Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure.”
Ms Giuffre is acknowledged as the woman who undid Epstein and his racket in Nigel Crawthorne’s 2022 book, Virginia Giuffre: the extraordinary life story of the masseuse who pursued and ended the sex crimes of Ghislane Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein.
In 2009 she was identified as only as Jane Doe 102 in a lawsuit accusing financier Jeffrey Epstein of trafficking her in a sex ring when she was a minor. The lawsuit named socialite Ghislane Maxwell – daughter of British publisher and fraudster Robert Maxwell – as Epstein’s co-conspirator who recruited Ms Giuffre at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
Ms Giuffre was a locker-room assistant there and Maxwell had offered her a job as a masseuse. In the lawsuit, she alleged she was required to have sex with men “including royalty”.
In 2015, Ms Giuffre waved her anonymity and told her story in the Mail on Sunday.
Four years later, Epstein was arrested and charged with sex trafficking and conspiracy. He was found dead in prison in New York on August 10, 2019, after details from Ms Giuffre’s successful defamation case against him were made public.
In 2021, Ms Giuffre filed a civil suit against Prince Andrew alleging that Epstein delivered her to the Duke as part of the sex ring. She accused Prince Andrew – brother to King Charles – of sexually assaulting her at Ms Maxwell’s home in London and at Mr Epstein’s properties in Manhattan and the Virgin Islands.
Prince Andrew denied the allegations and said he could not recall ever meeting Ms Giuffre. However he settled the case without an admission of wrongdoing and by making a payment to Ms Giuffre’s charity rumoured to be in the millions.
Ms Giuffre moved to Australia with her husband, Robert, in 2020 and had been living relatively quietly in a beachside suburb of Perth, Western Australia. When their marriage ended, thought to have been last year, Ms Giuffre posted on social media that she longed to see their three children. She was hospitalised in March for more than a week, initially with what The Australian has been told was neck and back pain. There was shock and concern for her at the time because she had posted on Instagram that she was in renal failure and had just days to live.
Her family said the light of her life were her children, Christian, Noah, and Emily.
“It was when she held her newborn daughter in her arms that Virginia realised she had to fight back against those who had abused her and so many others.
“There are no words that can express the grave loss we feel today with the passing of our sweet Virginia. She was heroic and will always be remembered for her incredible courage and loving spirit.
“In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight. We know that she is with the angels.”
Ms Guiffre’s lawyer, Sigrid McCawley, described her as an “incredible champion for other victims”.
“Her courage pushed me to fight harder, and her strength was awe-inspiring. The world has lost an amazing human being today,” she said.
Her representative, Dini von Mueffling, said Ms Guiffre was one of the most extraordinary human beings she had ever known.
“Deeply loving, wise, and funny, she was a beacon to other survivors and victims. She adored her children and many animals. She was always more concerned with me than with herself. I will miss her beyond words. It was the privilege of a lifetime to represent her.”
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Human existence does not end in the tomb
Pope Francis wanted a simple funeral, and his coffin fitted the bill.
China quietly exempts some US-made products from tariffs
Beijing has been canvassing companies and waiving duties on U.S. goods in sectors where it lacks alternatives