Virginia Giuffre's final days 'plagued by fear' over Prince Andrew payout

Daily Mirror

12-05-2025

Prince Andrew's sex abuse accuser, Virginia Giuffre, died at her farm in Western Australia last month, with friends saying she was 'extremely distressed' in the run up to her tragic death
In the days leading up to her death, Virginia Giuffre was said to be distressed and fearful after learning her multi-million-pound payout from Prince Andrew was at risk, according to her friends and family.
Virginia was found dead at her rural property in Australia on 25 April. At the time, she was being sued for defamation by artist Rina Oh for falsely describing Rina as a girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein and one of the convicted sex offender's recruiters.
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In the week prior to her suicide, sources familiar with Virginia explained that she descended into depression due to multiple personal crises: the collapse of her marriage, vicious online trolling, the potential loss of her financial security, and the loss of custody of her three children.
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A source told the Mirror: "Virginia was extremely distressed in the weeks before she died. She felt like everything she had fought so hard for was going or gone. Couple this with the years of abuse she suffered at the hands of Epstein."
In a heartbreaking social media post just two weeks before her death, Virginia shared pictures of her three "beautiful babies" and wrote: "I miss them so very much. I have been through hell and back in my 41 years but this is incredibly hurting me worse than anything else. Hurt me, abuse me but don't take my babies. My heart is shattered, and every day that passes, my sadness only deepens."
Another key incident came when Virginia posted a photo from a hospital bed in which she wrongly claimed she had just days to live after a car crash. In truth, it had been a minor accident - and while her spokesman insisted it was an innocent mistake, the backlash was swift and brutal.
Critics, including supporters of Prince Andrew, accused her of being a "fantasist". It was a devastating blow to a woman who had risked everything by speaking out.
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In the wake of Virginia's death and under New York law, Ms Oh's £7.5million defamation lawsuit will now pass on to her estate. Tweets attributed to Virginia had accused Ms Oh of physical assault, something Ms Oh has firmly rejected, asserting that she was also a victim of Epstein's exploitation and mistreatment.
Her legal representative stated in a court document: "Considering the high profile nature of the Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Prince Andrew story, [Giuffre] knew that accusing [Oh], a fellow victim, of such horrible things, would maximise the spread and harm and damage to [Oh]."
The legal submission further noted: "[Giuffre] has maliciously reiterated and republished these defamations and slanders in prior and subsequent tweets and interviews on podcasts, TV and for magazines, as well as in her memoirs entitled Billionaire's Playboy Club. These defamations and slanders by Defendant are causing [Oh] great harm."
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Ms Oh's legal action was also poised to be leveraged by Prince Andrew 's defence team against Ms Giuffre, who filed a lawsuit against the monarch's sibling in 2021, alleging sexual abuse.
The litigation against Prince Andrew, who has consistently refuted the accusations, concluded with an out-of-court settlement reportedly amounting to £12m. The Firm wanted a settlement agreed so the case did not overshadow the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, it was reported.
Emergency services were called to Virginia's home in Neergabby, about 12 miles north of Perth, on 25 April. Despite their efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her lawyer, David Boies, said: "Her courage, caring, and strength were an inspiration. She was one of the strongest people I have ever known, but the physical abuse she suffered as a child at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein, and the verbal abuse she continued to suffer at the hands of his collaborators trying to salvage their reputations by attacking hers, finally wore her down. God bless you, Virginia. And God damn your abusers."