Latest news with #GloriaAllred
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘I cry when I hear his name': Epstein victim breaks down on cam, drops bombshell on Jeffrey, Maxwell
In a press conference held at attorney Gloria Allred's Los Angeles office, Alicia Arden, one of the first known victims to file a police report against Jeffrey Epstein, broke her silence and called on the US government to release all Epstein-related investigation files. Show more Show less
CTV News
6 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Victims feeling exhausted and anxious about wrangling over Epstein files
Alicia Arden, who accused Jeffrey Epstein of sexual battery in 1997, reads a statement alongside her attorney, Gloria Allred, during a news conference in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) LOS ANGELES — Women who say they were abused by Jeffrey Epstein are feeling skeptical and anxious about the U.S. Justice Department's handling of records related to the convicted sex offender, with some backing more public disclosures as an overdue measure of transparency, and others expressing concerns about their privacy and the Trump administration's motivations. In letters addressed to federal judges in New York this week, several victims or their attorneys said they would support the public release of grand jury testimony that led to criminal indictments against Epstein and his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell — if the government agreed to allow them to review the material and redact sensitive information. The Justice Department has asked the court to take the rare step of unsealing transcripts of that secret testimony, in part to placate people who believe that the government has hidden some things it knows about Epstein's wrongdoing. Other victims, meanwhile, accused President Donald Trump of sidelining victims as he seeks to shift the focus from Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges that he habitually sexually abused underage girls. Some expressed concern that the administration — in its eagerness to make the scandal go away — might give Maxwell clemency, immunity from future prosecution or better living conditions in prison as part of a deal to get her to testify before Congress. 'I am not some pawn in your political warfare,' one alleged victim wrote in a letter submitted to the court by her lawyer this week. 'What you have done and continue to do is eating at me day after day as you help to perpetuate this story indefinitely.' Added another victim, in a letter submitted anonymously on Wednesday: 'This is all very exhausting.' Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of helping Epstein sexually abuse underage girls and is serving a 20-year prison sentence. A top Justice Department official, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, interviewed Maxwell for nine hours late last month, saying he wanted to hear anything she had to say about misdeeds committed by Epstein or others. After that interview, Maxwell was moved from a federal prison in Florida to a low-security prison camp in Texas. Alicia Arden, who said Epstein sexually assaulted her in the late 1990s, held a news conference on Wednesday in Los Angeles. She said she would support the release of additional material related to the case, including a transcript of Maxwell's interview with Blanche. But she also expressed outrage at the possibility that Maxwell could receive clemency or other special treatment through the process, adding that the Justice Department's approach had been 'very upsetting' so far. The Trump administration has faced weeks of furor from some segments of the president's political base, which have demanded public disclosure of files related to Epstein. Epstein has long been the subject of conspiracy theories because of his friendships with the rich and powerful, including Trump himself, Prince Andrew and former president Bill Clinton. Last month, the Justice Department announced it would not release additional files related to the Epstein sex trafficking investigation. Prosecutors later asked to unseal the grand jury transcripts, though they've told the court they contain little information that hasn't already been made public. Two judges who will decide whether to release the transcripts then asked victims to share their views on the matter. In a letter submitted to the court Tuesday, attorneys Brad Edwards and Paul Cassell, who represent numerous Epstein victims, wrote: 'For survivors who bravely testified, the perception that Ms. Maxwell is being legitimized in public discourse has already resulted in re-traumatization.' An attorney for Maxwell, David Oscar Markus, said this week that she opposed the release of the grand jury transcripts. 'Jeffrey Epstein is dead. Ghislaine Maxwell is not,' he wrote. 'Whatever interest the public may have in Epstein, that interest cannot justify a broad intrusion into grand jury secrecy in a case where the defendant is alive, her legal options are viable, and her due process rights remain.' The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment on the victims' statements. ___ Jake Offenhartz And Jaimie Ding, The Associated Press
Daily Mail
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Prince Andrew should testify to US lawmakers under oath over his ties to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, says top lawyer
A top lawyer representing Jeffrey Epstein 's victims has demanded Prince Andrew testifies about his links to the infamous paedophile socialite. Famed lawyer Gloria Allred, 84, said the Duke of York should volunteer to speak under oath before Congress. The 65-year-old has maintained his denial of ever sleeping with Virginia Giuffre, the Epstein victim Andrew was pictured with when she was 17, with the pair standing next to jailed predator Ghislaine Maxwell. Andrew's lawyers have denied that he has refused to cooperate with US Epstein investigators. Allred told The Daily Mirror: 'Now more than ever, he should come forward. He could volunteer to testify publicly. 'Is he willing to testify before Congress? Is he willing to give more information to the Justice Department? And if not, why not? 'His silence is a statement that he's not willing to help for some reason.' It came as a bombshell book called Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, by Andrew Lownie, revealed Jeffrey Epstein said of Prince Andrew: 'We are both serial sex addicts. He's the only person I have met who is more obsessed with p***y than me. 'From the reports I've got back from the women we've shared, he's the most perverted animal in the bedroom. He likes to engage in stuff that's even kinky to me – and I'm the king of kink!' The book, which the Duke and Duchess of York tried to ban, explores how the couple 'fell from grace because of the flaws in their own characters and how they were allowed to leverage their privileged position as royals for personal gain with the connivance of the institution itself.' The book also details claims of Prince Andrew's infidelity and bedroom antics - from sleeping with scores of women while on ambassador trips to making lewd comments to women he met during everyday life as the late Queen's favourite son. It said the nickname 'Randy Andy' was given to Prince Andrew while he was at Gordonstoun public school. He allegedly earned the name because he was already sexually experienced, good looking and girls were attracted to him. While he has never had trouble picking up women, a family friend said: 'He's not a hunter of women. He rather expects them to come to him. But when they do, he shows himself to be bone idle and not very socially adept at chatting them up.' The Duke of York has long faced criticism for his friendship with Epstein (pictured in 2011), which carried on even after the socialite's imprisonment for sex offences in 2008 One woman he propositioned said: 'He's about as subtle as a hand grenade. His favourite trick is to rub your knee under the table. It's pathetic.' At a wedding he was said to have asked a woman he'd not met before for a dance. When she declined, he responded, 'I suppose a b*** j** is out of the question, then?' Another of his lovers said: 'He is not a Casanova. In the bedroom department he is a bit of a let-down. He has been dumped by most of the girls linked to him because he is a bore.' Andrew is also said to have certain juvenile characteristics, such as taking advantage of his position to humiliate others who may not be able to respond. At a society event in 1992 he reportedly unzipped broadcaster Tania Bryer's evening dress the full length of her back. Then at a dinner party he allegedly sniffed the pâté served as a first course and turned to his right, saying, 'This pâté smells. What do you think?' His female companion leaned forward to smell it and he promptly pushed her face into the dish. One of his dates recalled how he always introduced himself to her friends as the Duke of York, 'even when we were dancing on tables at two in the morning at Momo.' After a house party in Dorset, one young woman complained: 'One minute you're having your bum pinched and the next minute he's reminding you he's Your Royal Highness.' The controversial prince even left an impression on former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Andrew asked to have lunch with Johnson when he was Mayor of London, turning up with a list of things he wanted to talk about. He wanted to redesign traffic lights with 'fewer red lights', thought the whole of Battersea Power Station should be demolished, including the listed towers and felt the Queen Elizabeth II Centre was too small and not fit for purpose. Johnson responded: 'Well, if it's too small, it's your mum's fault.' Andrew reportedly stuck his tongue out. Afterwards, Boris said: '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.' Before her death by suicide in April, Virginia Giuffre said she was approached by Maxwell in 2000 and eventually was hired by her as a masseuse for Epstein, who took his own life in prison aged 66 in 2019. But the couple effectively made her a sexual servant, she said, pressuring her into gratifying not only Epstein but his friends and associates. Donald Trump and his then-girlfriend Melania Knauss with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Florida, on February 12, 2000 Giuffre said she was flown around the world for appointments with men including Prince Andrew while she was 17 and 18 years old. The men, including Andrew, denied that and questioned Giuffre's credibility. The prince settled with Giuffre in 2022 for an undisclosed sum, agreeing to make a 'substantial donation' to her survivors' organisation. While Andrew has long been criticised on both sides of the Atlantic, Allred, the attorney for some of Epstein's victims, also said she believes Andrew's name appears in files on Epstein held by the US government that many are asking to be made public. President Trump, who was close friends with Epstein for decades, suggested while campaigning for the last election that he would release the files. His campaign team wrote on X: 'President Trump says he will DECLASSIFY the 9/11 Files, JFK Files, and Epstein Files.' However, since his election he has backtracked. His former pal Elon Musk has criticised the Trump administration for not releasing the files. This year, Trump claimed the files were a 'hoax' and a 'scam' by Democrats who had peddled 'bulls***' to former MAGA supporters. Musk responded on X by saying: 'Wow, amazing that Epstein '' killed himself'' and Ghislaine is in federal prison for a hoax.' Then on July 15, Trump said: 'It's pretty boring stuff. It's sordid, but it's boring, and I don't understand why it keeps going. 'I think really only pretty bad people, including fake news, want to keep something like that going.' He later admitted the US attorney general had not told him the files were a hoax, but said he (Trump) 'knew' it was.
CNN
01-08-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Will President Trump Win The Trade War? - The Arena with Kasie Hunt - Podcast on CNN Podcasts
Will President Trump Win The Trade War? The Arena with Kasie Hunt 45 mins Ahead of the August 1st trade deadline, the panel debates whether Trump's tariff strategy can yet be deemed a success. Also, victims' rights advocate Gloria Allred talks to Kasie Hunt about what questions Epstein's victims still want answered. Plus, Kamala Harris announces a forthcoming memoir about her 2024 campaign.
Telegraph
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Weinstein victim lawyer: Don't let Diddy case fool you. MeToo is alive and well
The Sean 'Diddy' Combs verdict does not mean MeToo is dying as most sexual assault cases are settled privately, America's most prominent female lawyer has said. The music mogul was this week acquitted on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering after two of his ex-girlfriends, including the R&B singer Cassie Ventura, testified he coerced them into having sex with male escorts. Combs, 55, was convicted on two lesser charges of transportation for prostitution. But Gloria Allred, who is representing several of Combs's alleged victims, including two who have filed civil lawsuits, said the outcome is symptomatic of a waning MeToo movement. 'Nobody should judge the MeToo movement based on what happens in a criminal case,' Ms Allred, who also represented a number of Harvey Weinstein's accusers said. 'Criminal cases are rare, and most of the civil lawsuits that we do and the confidential settlements never result in a criminal case.' Speaking exclusively to The Telegraph, she added: 'There are many, many more civil lawsuits than there are criminal cases. In addition to that, we do many more confidential settlements without a lawsuit than even civil lawsuits, so it's [MeToo] alive and well.' Around 70 lawsuits have been filed against Combs, including two by Ms Allred's clients: Joi Dickerson-Neal, who alleges the star drugged and sexually assaulted her in 1991, and Thalia Graves, who claims she was drugged and raped by Combs 10 years later. Combs has denied all the allegations against him. During her famed career spanning more than 50 years Ms Allred has represented alleged victims of the rich and powerful, including Bill Cosby, Donald Trump, R Kelly and Mohamed Al-Fayed. Her clients include an unknown number of Weinstein's accusers, including Miriam Haley, who the disgraced film mogul was found guilty of sexually assaulting in his New York criminal retrial last month. When Mr Trump won the election in November, some feared electing a man who had been found liable for sexual abuse marked the end of the MeToo movement, which sprung up after more than 80 women came forward claiming they had been raped or sexual assaulted by Weinstein. Following the latest Weinstein verdict, which acquitted the disgraced producer of one count of sexual assault and resulted in a mistrial for his rape charge, Ms Allred, said: 'For those of you in the press who have predicted that the MeToo movement might be dead, that obituary was obviously premature.' Ms Allred insists victims are still contacting her firm Allred, Maroko & Goldberg, which she describes as the most prominent women's rights law firm in the country, every day. 'We won over a billion dollars in the years that we've been in practice for victims, so I am not concerned that this is going to deter victims,' she said. 'Maybe they won't want to perhaps report to law enforcement, but they still want accountability, they still want justice, they can all get that through a civil case, lawsuit or a confidential settlement,' she added. Several of the witnesses who testified against Combs had pending civil lawsuits against the mogul, including Dawn Richard, who is represented by Ms Allred's daughter Lisa Bloom. Ventura, 38, settled her civil suit against Combs within 24 hours of filing. She was paid $30 million by the Bad Boy Entertainment founder. Last year, lawyer Tony Buzbee, who is representing dozens of Combs's alleged victims, claimed several high-profile celebrities had settled with victims quietly before to avoid being named in a public lawsuit. This week a judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, accusing Mr Buzbee of trying to blackmail him with false claims of sexual misconduct. Carter sued after Mr Buzbee contacted the star about a complaint from an anonymous accuser who alleged that Carter and Combs sexually abused her. Mr Buzbee then filed a lawsuit accusing Carter and Combs of raping the alleged victim when she was 13. The lawsuit was later withdrawn by the accuser. There is still a separate lawsuit pending which Carter filed against Mr Buzbee in federal court in Alabama. Following the Combs trial, which included showing the Manhattan court CCTV footage of the star beating Ventura at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, Ms Allred said she plans to propose legislation stating that women cannot legally consent to sex if they are beaten before or after the act. 'We all saw the video, he beat her, he dragged her back, and if that's not force, if that's not coercion, I don't know what is,' she said. Discussing her recommended legislation, she said: 'In the same way that if... a woman is under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, she could not, from a legal point of view, does not have the capacity to consent to a sex act.' She added: 'I'm proposing that if a woman is beaten, a victim of domestic violence before or after the sexual assault, it should be considered that she couldn't consent to it. 'And so that's what I'm going to propose to legislators to change the law, so hopefully something good can come out of this.'
