Virginia Giuffre, a powerful voice in the fight against sexual abuse and one of the earliest survivors to speak out about Jeffrey Epstein, has died by suicide in Australia, her family announced Friday. She was 41.
Giuffre passed away at her home in Neergabby, Western Australia, where she had lived for years with her husband and three children.
In a heartbreaking statement, her family described her as a “fierce warrior” who spent her life advocating for survivors of sexual violence.
“Virginia was the light that lifted so many survivors,” her family said. “In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight.”
Raised in Florida, Giuffre endured abuse as a child and was homeless as a teen before becoming entangled in Epstein’s trafficking network.
Recruited by Ghislaine Maxwell in 1999, she endured years of abuse and later alleged that Epstein trafficked her to powerful men, including Britain’s Prince Andrew and modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel.
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Her bravery in going public helped lead to a wave of accountability. She was a key witness in the prosecution of Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking young girls for Epstein.
Giuffre also testified against Brunel, who later died by suicide in a French jail.
Giuffre reached a legal settlement with Prince Andrew in 2022 after accusing him of sexually abusing her when she was 17. Though he denied the claims, he stepped back from royal duties amid the scandal.
In her final years, Giuffre continued to fight for justice, but those close to her say the emotional and physical pain took a devastating toll.
She suffered from kidney failure and, according to her brother, carried the mental scars of trauma every day.
“She pushed so hard to snuff the evil out of the world,” said her brother, Danny Wilson. “But the mental pain was worse.”
Her lawyer, Sigrid McCawley, called her an “incredible champion for other victims” and said her courage inspired countless others.
