Virginia Giuffre 'extremely distressed' about Prince Andrew payout before death
Jeffery Epstein sex abuse survivor Virginia Giuffre was left "extremely distressed" after learning her multi-million-pound Prince Andrew payout was at risk two weeks before her suicide. The mother-of-three feared her fortune could be taken from her after another victim of the royal's paedophile pal, Epstein, sued her for defamation.
As the Mirror reports, Ms Giuffre, who was found dead on April 25 in Australia, was being sued by artist Rina Oh for falsely labelling her as Epstein's girlfriend and one of his recruiters. Under New York law, the £7,5million lawsuit will now be passed on to the deceased Ms Giuffre's estate.
Sources close to Ms Giuffre revealed she had become depressed in the weeks leading up to her death. Ms Giuffre reportedly was feeling low over the collapse of her marriage, losing her children to her husband and possibly losing her money.
An insider said: '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 t his with the years of abuse she suffered at the hands of Epstein.'
As well as the claims about Epstein, tweets under Ms Giuffre's name accused Ms Oh of physically assaulting her.
Ms Oh has categorically denied Ms Giuffre's allegations and contends that she, too, was a victim of Epstein's manipulation and abuse.
Her lawyer said in a court filing: '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 filing added: '[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.'
Ms Oh's lawsuit was set to be used by Andrew's legal team to attack Ms Giuffre, who sued the King's brother in 2021 for sex abuse.
The case against Andrew – who vehemently denied her claims – ended in a reported £12million settlement.
Just three weeks before Ms Giuffre's death, the New York State Appellate Court denied her motion to dismiss one of Ms Oh's two civil lawsuits.
Ms Giuffre was one of the first women to accuse Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, of trafficking underage girls.
In other, unrelated news, Prince Andrew's future at the Royal Lodge is currently uncertain.
After stepping down from public duties in May 2020 and subsequently losing his patronages due to his association with Epstein, questions remain as to whether he should be allowed to continue staying at the grand Windsor estate and how he will afford it.
King Charles is reportedly pressuring Andrew to leave the 30-room property for a smaller, more suitable residence. And the monarch may offer the mansion to another prominent couple.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Brooklyn Beckham's pal shares 'the most worrying thing' as feud becomes dark
Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz had a "second" wedding week - and such is the rift between David and Victoria and their daughter-in-law, the pair found out about the renewal by reading it online Brooklyn Beckham"isn't Brooklyn anymore" - according to a friend who says this is now "the most worrying thing" amid his family feud. Pals have reportedly become particularly concerned for the 26-year-old chef after he had a "second" wedding with Nicola Peltz over the weekend - and didn't inform his family. Such is the rift between Posh and Becks and their daughter-in-law Nicola that the pair only found out about the wedding vow renewal by reading it online. But it would seem that they were not the only ones supposedly black-listed from the lavish bash, which was attended by up to 200 people. The fallout from this has worried friends, including one who told the press of the "fear, worry and utter, utter devastation" loved ones share for Brooklyn. They said: "A point has now been reached where it's actually no longer about a feud. There is much confusion, fear, worry and utter, utter devastation that this happened without Brooklyn telling any of his family. "Far from fuelling a feud, it is just very, very worrying for everyone who loves him. They are worried about what is going on over there in the States." Brooklyn's siblings Romeo and Cruz were also persona non grata on August 2, it is understood. Another friend said the brothers have been "fanning the flames" as they feud - which first emerged around David's 50th birthday - continues to escalate. But the original insider told Mail Online the majority of any anger has turned to concern following the vow renewal ceremony. There is worry not just for Brooklyn but his extended family too, including both grandmothers. The pal continued: "It isn't just about David and Victoria anymore. They are heartbroken they don't see their son, but what about the grandparents? Brooklyn has always been so close to them. We are talking about a boy who was raised by his grandmothers Jackie Adams and Sandra Beckham when he was little and his parents were working. "He adores them, but he didn't even tell them about this. Imagine being an grandmother missing her grandson and seeing all of this on the internet. And that is the most worrying thing - it's like Brooklyn isn't Brooklyn anymore." Yet, Nicola's five brothers and sister Brittany did make the cut for the guest list earlier this month. Other guests included Harvey Weinstein's ex-wife Georgina Chapman, her Oscar-winning actor partner Adrien Brody and actor Oliver Trevena. However, we told yesterday how, despite the latest stunt, the Beckham family still claim to hope for a reconciliation. Our source told the Mirror: "The door is open. No one wants to see this kind of pain exist. There is always hope. At the end of the day. Blood is thicker than water."
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Prince Andrew 'barks foul-mouthed question at builders' as speed humps are installed near his palatial home
Prince Andrew confronted builders installing speed bumps outside his palatial home with a foul-mouthed rant, it has been reported. The disgraced Duke of York, 65, allegedly barked 'what the f*** are you doing now?' at workers putting in the sleeping policemen across the 4,800-acre Windsor Great Park estate. It is understood he was riding his horse when the conversation took place and was around one mile from Royal Lodge, where he has lived for the past 20 years. An insider told The Sun: 'The worker was just going about his job when Andrew, on one of his regular rides round the estate, came along and looked down from up high and said 'what the f*** are you doing now?' 'Andrew likes to drive his car out of Royal Lodge quite fast and is obviously a bit peeved as one of the speed humps is even right by the gate out of the park. 'No one likes speed humps but he will hardly feel them in his massive anyway.' It comes after Andrew was heavily criticised in the book penned by Andrew Lownie and serialised by the Mail, called Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York. He has since been spotted driving a black Land Rover Defender around near Windsor with his ex-wife of 10 years, Sarah Ferguson. Windsor Great Park, however, is shut off to the general public with security gates preventing traffic from entering the estate from the road. Only employees, official visitors and residents such as Prince Andrew are allowed inside. The disgraced Duke's alleged rant at the builders is the latest in a string of incidents he has become embroiled in on the estate. In January 2022, claims emerged that he had shouted at a female gardener over 'wrongly cut trees' just days after he was served with a writ from Virginia Roberts. The gardener in question was allegedly flustered and upset by the outburst from the Duke. A royal insider said it was 'unfair', especially as it was 'only a few saplings'. Meanwhile, in 2016 it was reported that Prince Andrew had rammed the park gates closed with his £80,000 Range Rover to avoid a one-mile detour home. It is understood that a report was made to police but no further action was taken. On Tuesday, the Daily Mail reported new research that shows two-thirds of Brits support stripping Andrew of his remaining royal titles. According to YouGov polling, 67 per cent of the population would back a move by the Royal Family to remove any remaining vestiges of his former position. The most well-known title held by the late Queen's second son is the Duke of York, a title given to him on his wedding day to Sarah Ferguson in 1986. Prince Andrew's scandalous and faux pas-ridden life has been outlined in extracts from Mr Lownie's bombshell new biography. One of the most explosive claims is that Prince Andrew and his nephew Prince Harry had a violent altercation in 2013 - something which the Sussexes have denied. It was alleged that the altercation took place during a family gathering in 2013 over 'something Andrew said behind Harry's back '. Author Mr Lownie claimed 'Harry got the better of Andrew by all accounts', with Harry leaving his uncle 'with a bloody nose' before their brawl was broken up. Later Andrew is said to have told Harry his marriage to Meghan Markle would not last more than a month and accused his nephew of going 'bonkers' and not doing any due diligence into her past. On Saturday night, representatives for the Duke of Sussex denied the fight ever happened, adding that Andrew never made the alleged comments about Harry. A spokesman for the Duke of Sussex told the Daily Mail: 'I can confirm Prince Harry and Prince Andrew have never had a physical fight, nor did Prince Andrew ever make the comments he is alleged to have made about the Duchess of Sussex to Prince Harry.' In the explosive new biography, it is also alleged that Prince Andrew was dubbed 'sex obsessed' and a 'perverted animal' by convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. There was even a long-standing rumour of an affair with a household staff member when he was still married to the Duchess of York. One nanny is said to have left because he made unwelcome advances. However, a family friend also described the prince as 'not very socially adept' and a 'bedroom bore' when it comes to women. 'He's about as subtle as a hand grenade,' said another. As a young man Andrew was said to be juvenile and fond of sly pranks - and sources said he has not changed much as an adult. One friend described him as a 'nightmare to sit next to at dinner', making ghastly jokes about whether the ladies are wearing knickers and 'lavatorial' jokes. At the same time he has a strong sense of of his own position as a senior member of the Royal Family, demanding people call him 'Your Royal Highness' and 'Sir' and insisting people stand up when he comes into the room. Some aides have been reduced to tears, while another was moved to different duties because Andrew 'disliked a mole on the man's face'. Former prime minister Boris Johnson was said to have remarked after being forced to dine with Andrew: 'I'm the last person to be a republican but, f***, if I ever have to spend another lunch like that, I soon will be.'
Daily Record
4 hours ago
- Daily Record
Neighbour shocked by Karen Matthews' comments prior to Shannon's kidnapping revelation
A new two-part documentary looking at the Shannon Matthews kidnapping case is available on Prime Video. When Shannon Matthews, a nine year old lass, went missing on 19 February 2008, the residents of Dewsbury's impoverished Moorside Estate showered her mum, Karen, with an outpouring of support. Her friend Petra Jamieson recalls a poignant moment during a visit to a local chippy with Karen: "We went into a fish and chip shop, and she got fish and chips for the family. "The person behind the counter says, 'They are on us. We're really sorry about what's gone with your daughter.'" Karen's shocking response was, according to Petra, "'I should get rid of one of my kids more often.' At the time, I just slapped her on the side of the arm... 'why would you say that?'" This chilling revelation is part of a new two-part Prime Video documentary, The Hunt for Shannon Matthews, set to be available in the UK and Ireland on Sunday, August 17. It also delves into the life of Shannon Matthews' mum Karen while she was in prison, reports the Mirror. The documentary unravels the astonishing tale of how, after Shannon vanished for 24 days, it emerged that Karen had actually conspired to stage the kidnapping with her boyfriend's uncle, Michael Donovan. Petra, one of Karen's neighbours featured in the documentary, remembers watching Karen pleading outside her West Yorkshire home for the return of her "beautiful princess daughter" Shannon. Living just a couple of doors down from Karen, their children attended the same school and the mums had developed a close friendship. With the typical generosity of residents living on the council estate, Petra stood by Karen throughout the 24 days that Shannon remained missing. And when she was discovered, the neighbourhood rejoiced. Petra, who was present at Karen's house when officers arrived to inform her Shannon had been located, recalls: "We were all bouncing about! We didn't know what would happen." The sole disappointment was that Shannon, who required police questioning, couldn't return home immediately. Remembering the youngster, Petra reflects: "Shannon was a pleasant, lovely girl to have around. Never any bother. She would play in the garden with her siblings. She never wandered far." A fortnight after Shannon was discovered, a relieved Petra went with Karen to the neighbourhood chippy to collect food for her family, where the sympathetic proprietor declared the meal was complimentary. Like other estate dwellers, the chip shop owner had been hoping Shannon - who purportedly didn't arrive home after being collected from school following a swimming lesson - would be located unharmed. For Petra, as a mother herself, she recognised what Karen was enduring represented every parent's greatest fear. And she was delighted when Shannon was found alive. She reflects: "It meant everything. No parent wants to think that their child is not going to come home." However, Petra couldn't dismiss the insensitivity of Karen's peculiar remark after receiving a complimentary chippy meal. She had already felt uneasy about how much Karen "liked the attention" of appearing in the media. She reveals: "She liked the fact that she could go into town, and everyone recognised her. People had sympathy for her and compassion, giving her hugs." However, she never suspected her friend of planning her own child's abduction and was heartbroken when she uncovered the truth. "She (Karen) didn't have a lot. But from my perspective her kids were clothed, fed and looked after. She was just like me, a mum." Petra shares, her voice filled with emotion. Even now, 16 years on, the betrayal still stings. Once a firm defender of Karen and her partner Craig Meehan, Petra even featured in a 2008 Channel 4 Cutting Edge documentary Shannon Matthews: The Family's Story, which offered an intimate look at a family grieving their missing daughter. Petra is seen reading a newspaper article, where Karen's parents claimed her children were physically assaulted by Craig. Outraged on Karen's behalf, she said: "I really hope I don't see your mum." Tragically, she had been entirely deceived by Karen and Craig, who were arrested 19 days after Shannon was found - a horrifying turn in an already shocking tale. Alongside a large-scale search for Shannon led by the Moorside community, West Yorkshire Police conducted an extensive search for the child, costing £3.2 million, involving more than 200 officers and three-quarters of all the UK's specially-trained police dogs. After ten days of no new developments, some media outlets began to delve into Shannon's background and her "disordered family life" with Karen, then 32, and her stepdad Craig, 22. However, these reports were labelled as "classist," drawing comparisons to the sympathetic coverage of Madeleine McCann's doctor parents Gerry and Kate McCann, nine months earlier, when she was abducted while they were dining at a restaurant. As time went on, it became increasingly hard for those who knew Karen to overlook her peculiar behaviour, given what had allegedly happened to Shannon. In the Prime Video documentary, local journalist Richard Edwards recounts a strange moment when he visited Karen's house to interview her about the search. To his surprise, she jumped out from behind the living room door, laughing, as if playing hide and seek. "I thought probably she was painting on a smile just pretending all was okay for the other kids at home. Maybe she was just pretending all that was okay for them," Petra comments on the incident. On March 14, 2008, Shannon was found alive, hidden in the base of a divan bed at the flat of Craig's uncle, Michael Donovan, 39, who was arrested on the spot and charged with kidnapping and false imprisonment. Tests on strands of Shannon's hair revealed she had been drugged with sedatives. Further tests indicated she may have been drugged for as long as 20 months before she was discovered. An elasticated strap with a noose on the end was discovered at the flat, which may have been used as a method of restraint. With it around her waist, Shannon would have been able to use the toilet and turn the TV on, but she would not have been able to leave the flat. During his arrest, Donovan - who died from cancer in April 2024, aged 54 - had shouted: "Get Karen down here! We'd got a plan. We're sharing the money - £50,000!" Karen vehemently denied the accusations. But another friend, Natalie Brown, was becoming suspicious. Eventually, Natalie - along with fellow Moorside resident and Chair of the Moorside residents and tenants association, Julie Bushby, who had put her life on hold to lead the community search - confronted her directly. Karen confessed she'd been deceiving everyone the whole time. She had known Shannon was with Donovan and had fabricated lies to friends, neighbours and the press - accepting everyone's kindness and concern. Karen was arrested and tried with Donovan at Leeds Crown Court. There, she withdrew her confession and told police five different versions of events. Karen and Donovan were found guilty of kidnapping, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice. Each was jailed for eight years. Shannon was placed in emergency social services care and later given a new identity. Petra says: "At the trial I still didn't want to believe that Karen had anything to do it "Even though she admitted it, I wanted to see if she would sit and admit it in the court. At the end, she still couldn't be honest. She lied and lied and lied. Is that because she thought she could get away it? Who knows?". Karen was freed in April 2012 after completing half her sentence. Despite grappling with her mate's betrayal, Julie questions whether everything Karen did stemmed from vile images on her partner Craig's computer. "Did Karen know? Maybe that's why she did what she did. To keep Craig away from her," she says. "Can we ever get the truth? I don't think we ever will."
