Major Controversies Surrounding Virginia Giuffre: A Detailed Timeline

Controversies are a part of history. Explore the biggest scandals linked to Virginia Giuffre.

Virginia Giuffre is an American-Australian advocate for survivors of sex trafficking and a prominent accuser of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. She alleges she was trafficked by them and provided detailed accounts of her experiences to journalists. Giuffre founded Victims Refuse Silence in 2015, later relaunched as Speak Out, Act, Reclaim (SOAR) in 2021, a non-profit organization focused on aiding victims of sex trafficking.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

2000: Association with Epstein and Maxwell begins

Beginning in 2000 and continuing until 2002, Virginia Giuffre became closely associated with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, traveling between Epstein's residences and Little Saint James.

2000: Giuffre meets Maxwell and is introduced to Epstein

In mid-2000, Virginia Giuffre met Ghislaine Maxwell while working at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club. Maxwell offered her a job working for Jeffrey Epstein as a traveling masseuse. Giuffre was then introduced to Epstein and began being groomed to provide sexual services.

March 2001: Alleged trafficking to Prince Andrew

In March 2001, Virginia Giuffre was allegedly trafficked to Prince Andrew. Giuffre described it as a "wicked" and "really scary time" in her life.

2002: Association with Epstein and Maxwell continues

Between 2000 and 2002, Virginia Giuffre was closely associated with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, traveling between Epstein's residences and Little Saint James.

March 2005: Investigation begins against Epstein

In March 2005, while Virginia Giuffre was in Australia, the Palm Beach Police Department began investigating Jeffrey Epstein after a 14-year-old girl reported his behavior.

October 2005: Growing list of claims against Epstein

By October 2005, the police had a growing list of girls with similar claims of sexual abuse against Jeffrey Epstein, along with corroborating statements and a search warrant for his Palm Beach property.

May 1, 2006: Police Chief requests removal of State Attorney

On May 1, 2006, Police Chief Michael Reiter asked State Attorney Barry Krischer to remove himself from the Epstein case. When Krischer declined, Reiter turned his evidence over to the FBI for federal prosecution.

2007: Federal decision not to prosecute

In 2007, U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta decided not to prosecute Jeffrey Epstein in federal court and referred the matter back to the local jurisdiction.

2007: Authorities contact Giuffre

In 2007, Virginia Giuffre received a series of phone calls from Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein, and an FBI agent. The FBI agent identified Giuffre as a victim in the criminal case against Epstein.

2008: Non-prosecution agreement

In 2008, U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta agreed to sign a controversial non-prosecution agreement with Jeffrey Epstein, which was done without informing the victims and later determined to be in violation of the Crime Victims' Rights Act.

2008: Lawsuit filed accusing Justice Department of violating Crime Victims' Rights Act

In 2008, a lawsuit was filed accusing the U.S. Justice Department of violating the Crime Victims' Rights Act during the first criminal case against Jeffrey Epstein by failing to allow several of his victims to challenge his plea deal.

May 2009: Giuffre files lawsuit against Epstein and Maxwell

In May 2009, Virginia Giuffre filed a lawsuit as Jane Doe 102 against Jeffrey Epstein and accused Ghislaine Maxwell of recruiting her to a life of being sexually trafficked while she was a minor.

March 2011: Giuffre's story publicized

In March 2011, Virginia Giuffre's story was first publicized by the Mail on Sunday, including the photo showing Prince Andrew with his arm around her. FBI agents contacted Giuffre at the US consulate in Sydney shortly after.

2015: Giuffre sues Maxwell

In 2015, Virginia Giuffre sued Ghislaine Maxwell for defamation.

2015: Lawsuit against Maxwell

In 2015, Virginia Giuffre's unpublished manuscript The Billionaire’s Playboy Club was filed as evidence during her lawsuit against Maxwell.

December 2018: Settlement between Epstein and Edwards

In December 2018, Jeffrey Epstein settled with lawyer Bradley Edwards, who represents several Epstein accusers, including Virginia Giuffre, for an undisclosed sum and issued a public apology.

February 2019: Ruling on victims' rights violation

In February 2019, District Judge Kenneth Marra determined that prosecutors had violated victims' rights as defined by the Crime Victims' Rights Act in the case against Jeffrey Epstein.

July 2, 2019: Court orders unsealing of documents

On July 2, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ordered the unsealing of documents from Virginia Giuffre's earlier civil suit against Ghislaine Maxwell.

July 6, 2019: Jeffrey Epstein Arrested

On July 6, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein was arrested at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, charged with sex trafficking and conspiracy. The indictment accused him of soliciting underage girls for massages, which became increasingly sexual, and recruiting them to find other underage victims for money.

August 9, 2019: Release of Documents

On August 9, 2019, the first batch of documents from Virginia Giuffre's suit against Ghislaine Maxwell were released to the public, further implicating Jeffrey Epstein, Maxwell, and a number of their associates.

August 10, 2019: Epstein's Death

On August 10, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein was found dead after reportedly hanging himself in his Manhattan prison cell, one month after being arrested.

August 27, 2019: Accusers Speak at Hearing

On August 27, 2019, Judge Berman invited Epstein's accusers to speak publicly at a hearing. Giuffre was among the 16 women who spoke, stating, "The reckoning must not end. It must continue. He did not act alone. We the victims know that."

August 29, 2019: Case Against Epstein Dismissed

On August 29, 2019, 19 days after Epstein's death, the case against him was closed and all sex trafficking charges were dismissed by District Judge Richard Berman. However, prosecutors signaled that they would continue an investigation for potential co-conspirators.

October 2019: BBC Panorama interview

In October 2019, Virginia Giuffre gave an interview for BBC's Panorama, which aired on December 2, describing her experiences of being sex trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein to Britain's Prince Andrew, which helped shift public opinion against the prince.

November 16, 2019: Prince Andrew Newsnight Interview

On November 16, 2019, BBC reporter Emily Maitlis conducted a Newsnight interview with Prince Andrew, discussing Giuffre's allegations and his friendship with Epstein. The reaction to the Prince's conduct during the interview was one of overwhelming disapproval.

November 20, 2019: Prince Andrew Resigns Royal Duties

On November 20, 2019, Prince Andrew resigned from his royal duties after widespread disapproval of his Newsnight interview and Giuffre's public appeal, leading many organizations to sever ties with him.

2019: Manuscript made public

In 2019, Virginia Giuffre's manuscript was made public when the court unsealed the document during her lawsuit against Maxwell.

2019: Court documents name Epstein associates

In 2019, court documents from a civil suit were released from seal, in which Virginia Giuffre named several individuals that she claims Epstein and Maxwell instructed her to have sex with.

August 9, 2021: Civil Lawsuit Filed Against Prince Andrew

On August 9, 2021, Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit in New York against Britain's Prince Andrew alleging that she was forced to have several sexual encounters with the prince in the early 2000s after being trafficked by Epstein.

October 2021: Defamation Lawsuit by Rina Oh

In October 2021, Rina Oh sued Giuffre for defamation in Manhattan federal court, seeking 20 million in damages. The lawsuit stemmed from tweets by Giuffre accusing Oh of helping traffic girls for Epstein.

January 12, 2022: Judge Allows Sexual Abuse Lawsuit to Proceed

On January 12, 2022, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan rejected Prince Andrew's attempts to dismiss the sexual abuse lawsuit, allowing it to proceed.

January 2022: Settlement amount revealed

In January 2022, unsealed documents revealed that the settlement amount of the 2009 case, entitled Jane Doe No. 102 vs. Jeffrey Epstein, was $500,000 (equivalent to $733,000 in 2024) and other unspecified "valuable consideration".

February 15, 2022: Out-of-Court Settlement Reached

On February 15, 2022, the parties reached an out-of-court settlement, including Prince Andrew making a substantial donation to Giuffre's charity, acknowledging Epstein's trafficking and commending Giuffre's bravery.

May 2022: Giuffre Files Counterclaim Against Oh

In May 2022, Giuffre filed a counterclaim against Rina Oh, alleging that Oh had cut her during sadomasochistic games done for Epstein, a claim Oh denied.

November 8, 2022: All Claims Dismissed

On November 8, 2022, all claims were dismissed after attorneys for Giuffre, Boies, and Dershowitz filed joint stipulations, with no fees awarded. Giuffre stated she may have been mistaken in identifying Dershowitz.

January 8, 2024: Court Unseals Documents

On January 8, 2024, the court unsealed 4,553 pages of documents related to the defamation lawsuit between Giuffre and Maxwell. These documents revealed the names of over 150 people connected to Epstein.

2024: Equivalent Value of Settlement

In January 2022, unsealed documents revealed that the settlement amount of the 2009 case, entitled Jane Doe No. 102 vs. Jeffrey Epstein, was $500,000 equivalent to $733,000 in 2024) and other unspecified "valuable consideration".