Photo: getty
She spilled a lot of scary details.
By Bernadette Giacomazzo and Samantha Maffucci — Written on Dec 07, 2019
While the sick and twisted world of Jeffrey Epstein unraveled, and subsequently ended in his alleged suicide (though the investigation is still ongoing), the world was stunned when Prince Andrew, son of Queen Elizabeth II and eighth in line to the British throne, candidly discussed his friendship with Epstein. Out of his interview with BBC’s Newsnight, he revealed how he met Epstein in 1999 through Ghislaine Maxwell, and didn’t regret their friendship.
He did, however, deny having sex with Virginia Giuffre, then known as Virginia Roberts, and claimed he had no recollection of ever meeting her. Subsequently, Buckingham Palace announced Prince Andrew’s public duties are suspended “for the foreseeable future.”
But who is Virginia Giuffre? She’s not just some random woman claiming to have known Andrew; in fact, her accusations are much more disturbing.
1. She claims Epstein kept her a sex slave.
In 2015, Giuffre filed a lawsuit claiming she was held as Epstein’s sex slave from 1999 to 2002, beginning when she was just 17 years old. Giuffre also claimed that Maxwell trafficked her to others, including Prince Andrew and Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard law professor. She also claimed that the FBI may have attempted to cover up the abuse.
2. She was involved in a legal battle with Ghislaine Maxwell.
Giuffre and Maxwell were embroiled in a legal battle, as Giuffre claimed she was “procured” by Maxwell, who subsequently made her into a sex slave. Maxwell, who is the daughter of the late Robert Maxwell, denied all claims.
The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount, though sources say Giuffre was awarded “million.”
3. She recalled her forced encounters with Prince Andrew.
Giuffre pictured (center) with Prince Andrew (left) and Maxwell (right)
During an interview with NBC Dateline, Giuffre spoke about her encounter with Prince Andrew when she was 17 years old. According to her, she was forced to dance with him at a London nightclub, but they didn't have sex until later that night in the bathroom at Maxwell’s townhouse, after being “plied” with vodka.
“He was a prince. He was famous. He was royalty, and it just stuck out in my mind. Like most girls, I grew up watching Disney. Princesses and princes were the good people of the world. And he wasn’t,” she said.
Before the encounter, she recalled Maxwell informing her of what was to come:
“The first time in London, I was so young. Ghislaine woke me up in the morning and said, ‘You’re gonna meet a prince today. I didn’t know at that point that I was going to be trafficked to a prince.
We went out to Club Tramp. Prince Andrew got me alcohol, it was in the VIP section. I’m pretty sure it was vodka. He was like, ‘Let’s dance.’ I was like, ‘OK.’ We leave club Tramp and I hop in the car with Ghislaine and Jeffrey. She says, ‘He’s coming back to the house and I want you to do for him what you do for Epstein.”
Afterwards, she said, “He wasn’t rude or anything about it. He said ‘thank you’ and some kind of soft sentiments like that and left. I just couldn’t believe it, that even royalty were involved. He denies that it ever happened. He’s going to keep denying that it ever happened but he knows the truth and I know the truth... Unfortunately there's this horrible law called [the] statute of limitations. My lawyers have told me (the way) to hold them accountable is through them calling me a liar and I’m not, it’s a defamation lawsuit.”
But also says she slept with Prince Andrew more than once. In fact, she alleges they had sex three times.
4. Prince Andrew denies the allegations.
Despite this, Giuffre continues to speak up. After she and Epstein’s other victims had a chance to tell their stories in court, outside of the courthouse, she urged Andrew to tell the truth. “He knows exactly what he's done. And I hope he comes clean about it,” she commented.
As for Prince Andrew, he denies ever being involved in the encounters, including claiming he was unable to sweat at the time of the supposed sex, and never witnessing any wrong behavior while hanging out with Epstein.
A statement from Buckingham Palace read:
“It is emphatically denied that The Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts. Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation. The Duke deeply sympathises with those affected who want some form of closure. It is his hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives.
The Duke is willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required. The Duke has already stated that he did not see, witness or suspect any behavior of the sort that subsequently led to Jeffrey Epstein’s arrest and conviction. He deplores the exploitation of any human being and would not condone, participate in, or encourage any such behavior."
During an interview with BBC Panorama, Prince Andrew revealed, “I can tell you categorically I don’t remember meeting her at all. I do not remember a photograph being taken and I’ve said consistently and frequently that we never had any sort of sexual contact whatsoever.”
Prince Andrew also claimed that Giuffre’s accusations of him sweating all over her were false, as well as the dates she offered, adding, “It didn’t happen... That couldn’t have happened because the date that’s being suggested I was at home with the children.”
5. Giuffre discussed her feelings after Epstein’s death.
“It was such a shock to me. I mean when I say, ‘shock’, didn’t have the words. I was in mourning, not because the world lost a monster. I was not mourning him. I wasn't mourning the death of this man. I was mourning the death of my ability to hold this man accountable,” she said.
6. Giuffre was once spotted at Naomi Campbell's birthday party.
According to the New York Post, "Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre was once spotted partying on a yacht in the French Riviera for Naomi Campbell’s birthday in 2001. New photos have emerged showing the fresh-faced 17-year-old wearing a crop top and shiny pants alongside Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime girlfriend who allegedly recruited Giuffre as the financier’s sex slave."
After the pictures came out, Naomi Campbell denied being friends with Jeffrey Epstein (perhaps to avoid the fallout herself).
7. Her memoir has helped bring a lot of high-profile men under scrutiny.
Back in August, a sealed memoir was revealed, exposing the secret of sex rings. The 139-page memoir revealed accusations against Epstein, including working for three years in his ring, including "showing up whenever Epstein called, all the while growing increasingly depressed and addicted to drugs, but too financially dependent to leave Epstein until she met and married an Australian man soon after she turned 18."
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more.
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.