Virginia Giuffre’s settlement with the British royal regarding her allegations of sexual abuse occurred in 2022.
Virginia Giuffre, a prominent figure among survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation and a strong voice for sexual abuse victims, has died by suicide at 41, according to a family statement given to NBC News on Friday.
Giuffre died at her farm in Neergabby, Western Australia, where she had lived with her husband and three children since 2019.
“With profound sadness, we announce Virginia’s passing last night at her farm in Western Australia. She died by suicide, having suffered lifelong sexual abuse and sex trafficking,” her family communicated to NBC News.
They characterized her as “a powerful advocate in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking” and emphasized that “the trauma of abuse became too overwhelming for Virginia to bear.”
Giuffre was vital in raising global awareness of Epstein’s abuse network. Her information to law enforcement was key in the conviction of Ghislaine Maxwell, an associate of Epstein.
She also initiated a well-known civil lawsuit against Prince Andrew of Britain, alleging sexual abuse when she was 17. The case was settled in 2022, with Prince Andrew denying the claims.
Jeffrey Epstein died in a New York jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death was officially ruled a suicide, though intense public scrutiny and speculation persist given the prominent individuals connected to his case.
Documents released by the court last year suggested a potential connection between Giuffre and Ruslana Korshunova, a model of Kazakh-Russian descent who died in 2008. Korshunova had reportedly traveled on Epstein’s private plane to his private island, Little St. James, two years before her death. Following Korshunova’s death, Giuffre received an email from her lawyer asking if she knew the young model.
In March, Giuffre shared on Instagram that she had been involved in an accident with a school bus and was suffering from kidney failure. She said doctors had given her “four days to live” and posted a photo showing visible bruises. Her family later clarified that she had been hospitalized and was receiving medical attention.
Her brother, Danny Wilson, told NBC News that she had been in “real physical pain” and “suffered from renal failure,” but that “the mental pain was worse.”
Giuffre’s attorney, Sigrid McCawley, called her “a close friend and a remarkable champion for other victims,” while her representative, Dini von Mueffling, stated, “Virginia was one of the most incredible people I have ever had the privilege of knowing.”