PERTH, Australia – Virginia Giuffre, a central figure in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal who accused Prince Andrew of sexual abuse, has died by suicide at the age of 41.
Police in Western Australia confirmed they responded to reports of an unresponsive woman at a rural property in Neergabby, north of Perth, on Friday evening.
“Police and St John Western Australia attended and provided emergency first aid. Sadly, the 41-year-old woman was declared deceased at the scene,” a police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia on Friday, April 25, 2025.
Family Statement: “A Fierce Warrior”
Giuffre’s death was confirmed in a statement by her family to NBC News.
“It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia,” the family said.
“She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.”
The statement described her as “a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking” and “the light that lifted so many survivors.”
Her three children—Christian, Noah, and Emily—were described as “the light of her life.”
A Life Marked by Exploitation and Advocacy
Born in California and raised in Florida, Giuffre came into public view after revealing that she had been recruited as a teenager by Ghislaine Maxwell while working at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach.
Under the pretext of massage work for Jeffrey Epstein, she was drawn into a network of abuse.
She later alleged that she was trafficked to several of Epstein’s powerful associates, including Prince Andrew, Duke of York.
Allegations Against Prince Andrew and Public Fallout
In a civil suit filed in 2021, Giuffre accused Prince Andrew of sexually assaulting her on three occasions—in London in 2001, in Epstein’s Manhattan mansion, and in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
A now-infamous photograph, which showed Andrew with his arm around Giuffre’s waist and Ghislaine Maxwell in the background, became central to public discourse.
Although Prince Andrew denied the allegations, he settled the lawsuit out of court in 2022 for an undisclosed sum, widely reported to be around $14 million.
The scandal forced the prince to step back from official royal duties following a widely criticised BBC interview in which he claimed he could not sweat and had been at a Pizza Express in Woking on the date in question.
View this post on Instagram
Struggles in Private Life
After her settlement, Giuffre moved to Western Australia with her husband, Robert Giuffre, and their children.
Though she sought a quieter life, her personal struggles continued.
Earlier this year, she claimed on Instagram to be suffering from kidney failure following a bus accident, posting: “I’m ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time.”
She later admitted the claim was untrue and was discharged from hospital shortly after.
In a People magazine interview, she accused her estranged husband of domestic abuse and said she had reported an assault in January in Dunsborough.
While People was unable to obtain a police report, Robert Giuffre’s lawyer declined to comment, citing ongoing proceedings.
A Voice for Survivors
Despite ongoing attacks on her credibility, Giuffre remained an unflinching advocate for victims of sexual exploitation.
In the documentary Surviving Jeffrey Epstein (2020), she spoke candidly about her trauma and called for the public to “take us seriously.”
She also testified against Epstein associate Jean-Luc Brunel in France shortly before his own death by suicide while awaiting trial.
Her brother, Danny Wilson, told NBC News that she was driven by a sense of duty: “Her biggest push was, ‘If I don’t do this, nobody’s going to do it.’ She was in real physical pain—suffered from renal failure. But I think that the mental pain was worse.”
Tributes and Silence from the Palace
Giuffre’s legal representative, Sigrid McCawley, said her client was also a dear friend and “an incredible champion for other victims.”
“Her courage pushed me to fight harder, and her strength was awe-inspiring,” McCawley said.
Dini von Mueffling, Giuffre’s spokesperson, called her “one of the most extraordinary human beings I have ever had the honour to know.”
As of publication, Prince Andrew has not made a public statement regarding her death.
