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Daily Record
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Record
FBI claims it will release jail tape proving Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide
Epstein, 66, was found hanging inside a jail cell at the NYC's Metropolitan Correctional Center on the morning of Aug. 10, 2019. His death was ruled a suicide soon after. The FBI has claimed they have a video which proves that Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide and says it will release the footage soon. Epstein, 66, was found hanging inside a jail cell at the NYC's Metropolitan Correctional Center on the morning of Aug. 10, 2019. His death was ruled a suicide soon after. But conspiracy theorists believe that he did not end his life, maintaining that Epstein's death was murder. Their beliefs are fuelled by reports at the time that guards failed to check on him and cameras weren't working. But FBI Deputy Director Don Bongino, appointed by US President, Donald Trump, in March says that he plans to release prison video of Epstein that confirms the billionaire financier and convicted sex offender killed himself. But when asked if the video showed Epstein taking his own life, he admitted it didn't. 'There is video,' Bongino told Fox & Friends. 'You are going to see there is no one there but him... there is video clear as day, he's the only person in there and the only person coming out.' Epstein, 66, was awaiting trial on federal conspiracy and sex trafficking charges. 'I say to people, if you have a tip, let us know,' Bongino, a former conservative talk show host, said. 'But there's no DNA, there's no audio, there's no fingerprints, there's no suspects, there's no accomplices, there's no tips. There is nothing. If you have it, I'm happy to see it.' Bongino said his office was 'working on cleaning' up the video. 'There is going to be a disclosure on this coming shortly. We will give the original, so you don't think there were any shenanigans.' When asked if the video would include Epstein killing himself, Bongino responded that the video doesn't show 'the actual act.' Epstein was accused of molesting multiple teenaged girls at his Palm Beach mansion. Investigators claimed that Epstein would lure teen girls to his home by paying them to massage him. During the massages, he would allegedly assault the teens, force them to have sex with him and offer them money to bring him other underage girls to assault. Many of his alleged victims spoke to Lifetime for Surviving Jeffrey Epstein, a four-hour miniseries on the financier's alleged crimes. Virginia Giuffre, who said she was recruited by Epstein's friend Ghislaine Maxwell, said in one of the first two episodes that the first time she was abused by Epstein, Maxwell assisted. Giuffre committed suicide at the age of 41 at her farm outside Perth, Australia, on Thursday, April 24. That suicide is also subject to speculation after her father claimed 'somebody got to her'. Giuffre received a multi-million dollar payout from Prince Andrew as a settlement after she accused him of having sex with her, which he denies. Epstein was arrested in July 2019 for allegedly sex trafficking girls as young as 14. He died almost a month after his arrest. Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison at Florida Correctional Institution-Tallahassee on June 28, 2022. In addition to her prison sentence, she was fined $750,000.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jeffrey Epstein Victim Virginia Giuffre Dies by Suicide
Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein's most prominent abuse survivors, who alleged she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew, has died by suicide at her farm in Western Australia. She was 41 years old. Giuffre was recently hospitalized, claiming she had kidney failure following a collision with a bus. At the time, she posted on Instagram that she had been given four days to live, writing: 'I'm ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time.' She later admitted that the claim about being near-death was false and was quietly discharged from the hospital. She then accused her estranged husband, Robert Giuffre—a former martial arts instructor—of domestic violence, stating in an interview with People magazine that she had been unable to escape abuse in her marriage until recently. She said she had reported an assault in Dunsborough, a coastal town in western Australia, on January 9, 2025, though People was unable to obtain an official incident report. Robert Giuffre's attorney declined to comment, citing ongoing court proceedings. Giuffre's family confirmed her passing on Friday, describing her in a statement to NBC News as a 'lifelong fighter' who could 'no longer carry the weight' of the trauma she endured. Giuffre was born in California but her family moved to Palm Beach County, Florida, where Giuffre got a job working as a spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago, before being recruited by Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein under the pretense of working as a masseuse for the billionaire financier. Giuffre alleged she was forced into sexual encounters with Epstein's powerful associates, including Prince Andrew. Although Andrew denied any wrongdoing, he settled her civil lawsuit in 2022 for an undisclosed amount, rumored to be around $14 million, and was forced to give up his royal role due to the scandal. After relocating to Australia with her husband and three children, Giuffre continued to advocate for survivors of sexual abuse. She also testified against Epstein associate Jean-Luc Brunel in France, shortly before his death by suicide while awaiting trial. In the 2020 documentary Surviving Jeffrey Epstein, Giuffre spoke openly about her physical and emotional pain and urged the public to 'take us seriously.' Despite persistent attacks on her character, she remained steadfast in her efforts to expose systemic abuse. Her family remembered her as 'a fierce warrior' in a statement obtained by NBC. Their statement read: 'It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia. She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking. Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors. Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure.' The family said that her three children—Christian, Noah, and Emily—were 'the light of her life.' They said Virginia found her resolve to fight back against her abusers when she first held her newborn daughter. Police confirmed they received reports of an unresponsive woman at a property in the Perth suburb of Neergabby on Friday night. A spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'Police and St John Western Australia attended and provided emergency first aid. Sadly, the 41-year-old woman was declared deceased at the scene.' After receiving a multi-million-dollar settlement from Prince Andrew in 2022, Giuffre moved with her family to a beachfront property in Western Australia. Her accusations against Andrew—supported by a widely circulated photograph showing him with his arm around her waist, with Maxwell in the background—led to the prince's retreat from public royal life after a disastrous BBC interview, during which he infamously claimed he was at a Pizza Express in Woking on the day Giuffre alleged they met and was unable to sweat due to a medical condition. Giuffre had accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her three times: in London during a 2001 trip, at Epstein's New York mansion when she was 17, and in the Virgin Islands when she was 18. Giuffre's brother, Danny Wilson, told NBC News that she fought tirelessly against injustice: 'Her biggest push was, 'If I don't do this, nobody's going to do it.' She was in real physical pain—suffered from renal failure. But I think that the mental pain was worse.' Giuffre's lawyer, Sigrid McCawley, described her client as a 'dear friend and an incredible champion for other victims.' Her representative, Dini von Mueffling, added: 'Virginia was one of the most extraordinary human beings I have ever had the honor to know.' McCawley said: 'Her courage pushed me to fight harder, and her strength was awe-inspiring.' Prince Andrew has yet to make a statement. If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Surviving Jeffrey Epstein' Accuser Virginia Giuffre Left With 'Days To Live' After Brutal Car Accident
Virginia Giuffre, a prominent Jeffrey Epstein accuser who detailed her alleged abuse in the Lifetime series Surviving Jeffrey Epstein, has announced that a fatal bus crash left her with just 'days to live.' Giuffre shared the news with a photo from her hospital bed, where she appears to be covered in bruises. She announced the accident left her suffering from kidney failure. 'This year has been the worst start to a new year, but I won't bore anyone with the details but I think it important to note that when a school bus driver comes at you driving [60 mph] as we were slowing for a turn that no matter what your car is made of it might as well be a tin can,' she wrote. Giuffre continued, 'I've gone into kidney renal failure, they've given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology. I'm ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time, but you know what they say about wishes. S**T in one hand and wish in the other & I guarantee it's still going to be s**t at the end of the day.' She concluded her message by thanking her supporters. 'Thank you all for being the wonderful people of the world and for being a great part of my life,' she added. Giuffre was a key figure in the investigation into Epstein's alleged sex trafficking operation. She claimed she had sex with Prince Andrew multiple times beginning when she was 17 years old, as well as other figures. She detailed the abuse in the 2020 Lifetime documentary Surviving Jeffrey Epstein. She claimed the abuse began when Epstein's accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, recruited her into a sex trafficking ring when she was 16 and working as a locker room attendant at President Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, per The New York Post. In the doc, Giuffre claims Epstein 'started literally trafficking me. There were times that he would send me on a commercial flight to go meet the people…saying, 'I want you to take care of them and report back to me what they liked, what you did for them,'' per Vanity Fair. She adds that Prince Andrew was amongst Epstein's targets. 'Andrew deserves to be outed. He deserves to be held accountable,' Giuffre says of Prince Andrew in the doc. 'He participated in a sex trafficking operation with one of the most prolific sex trafficking operators in the world in modern time.' Andrew denied the claims but paid two settlements to Giuffre and her charity in 2019, with one reported to be around $12 million. Giuffre is a mother of three. She reportedly lives with her husband and family in Australia.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Aaliyah Factored in R. Kelly Losing His Appeal
R. Kelly's latest appeal to overturn his New York sex trafficking and racketeering conviction has been denied. According to recent reports, the disgraced musician's convictions and 30-year prison sentence were upheld this week in federal appeals court, despite his argument through his attorneys that he did not run a racketeering enterprise because his employees were unaware of the age of his young victims. The decision that came Wednesday rejected his argument, as the New York Daily News reports from an obtained 85-page document. 'The record is replete with evidence that Kelly was able to commit the predicate acts because he was the head of a close-knit group of associates and he controlled the affairs of the enterprise,' Judge Denny Chin wrote when explaining Wednesday's decision, upholding Kelly's sentencing from June 2022. The statement goes on to cite a very specific example in the decision: Kelly's controversial marriage to the late Aaliyah. As we have reported, Kelly shockingly married Aaliyah back in 1994. Yes, that means Aaliyah was 15 and Kelly was a 27-year-old man. 'For instance, members of Kelly's entourage participated directly in a predicate act when they devised a plan for Kelly to marry Aaliyah when she was underage,' the decision reads, rejecting the argument that those around him were unaware of the age differences. Chin also wrote that those in Kelly's inner circle played an important role in 'recruiting his victims and keeping them quiet and under his thumb.' Kelly also reportedly argued in his appeal that four of the jurors were 'biased against him' due to the high publicity surrounding his case following the release of the 2019 'Surviving R. Kelly' documentary (that two jurors admitted to watching). The appeals court rejected this as well, however, agreeing that 'after giving each side an opportunity to request further questioning,' Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Ann Donnelly was correct in deciding that every juror could be 'impartial when deciding the case.' As the New York Daily News reports, Kelly has lost many appeals, including every appeal in Chicago since his sentencing in 2022. Just this last October, as we reported, the Supreme Court rejected also his appeal. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
R. Kelly loses appeal of NYC sex trafficking and racketeering case
A federal appeals court has rejected fallen R&B star R. Kelly's bid to overturn his New York sex trafficking and racketeering conviction. Kelly, 58, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison in June 2022 on racketeering and sex trafficking charges, argued through his attorneys that he didn't run a racketeering enterprise because his employees didn't know the age of his young victims and therefore weren't acting with criminal intent. In an 85-page decision Wednesday, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected that argument and kept the guilty verdict against the 'I Believe I Can Fly' singer intact. A Brooklyn Federal Court jury found him guilty in September 2021of one racketeering count and eight Mann Act counts, after a blockbuster trial with testimony from 40 witnesses and 11 accusers. The Mann Act criminalizes transporting people across state lines for immoral purposes. 'The record is replete with evidence that Kelly was able to commit the predicate acts because he was the head of a close-knit group of associates and he controlled the affairs of the enterprise,' Judge Denny Chin wrote, explaining the three-judge panel's decision. 'For instance, members of Kelly's entourage participated directly in a predicate act when they devised a plan for Kelly to marry Aaliyah when she was underage.' Kelly's secret and illegal marriage to late R&B teen phenom Aaliyah in 1994, when she was 15 and he was 27, unnerved some of his staunchest allies. Kelly's inner circle played a key role in recruiting his victims and keeping them quiet and under his thumb, helping enforce the singer's strict rules, and standing guard when Kelly made them stay in a room or a bus for hours or days, Chin wrote in the majority decision. They knew, or turned a blind eye to the fact that the young women were minors, and knew Kelly had a sexually-transmitted disease. In his appeal, Kelly also tried to argue that four of the jurors were biased against him because of the publicity surrounding the case, pointing out that two jurors admitted they'd watched the 2019 documentary, 'Surviving R. Kelly.' The appeals panel ruled, though, that Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Ann Donnelly correctly determined 'after giving each side an opportunity to request further questioning, that each juror could be impartial when deciding the case.' Kelly's career was already in decline, but the documentary burned what was left of his reputation to the ground and sped his downfall. It featured numerous women describing their abusive relationships with the singer over decades. He was charged with sex crimes in Brooklyn, Illinois and Minnesota later that year. In a dissenting opinion, one of the three judges, Richard Sullivan, said the conviction should stand but agreed with Kelly that one of his victims, 'Jane,' should have only been reimbursed for a lifetime supply of generic herpes medication, not the more expensive brand name Valtrex. Jane testified that the singer pulled her into his orbit at age 17 and subjected her to years of abuse. Kelly's lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, maintains that the $270,000 lifetime price tag of the Valtrex amounts to a 'windfall' meant to influence her testimony. 'While we are disappointed that the Second Circuit affirmed Mr. Kelly's convictions, we believe the United States Supreme Court will be interested in reviewing this unprecedented opinion that gives the government limitless discretion to apply the RICO statute to situations absurdly remote from statute's intent,' Bonjean said of the appeals court's decision. 'The statute was intended to punish organized crime – not individual conduct.' In October, the Supreme Court rejected Kelly's appeal of his conviction and 20-year sentence for child sex crimes in Chicago. Kelly has lost every appeal in the Chicago case since he was convicted in September 2022 on three counts of producing child sexual abuse images and three counts of enticing minors for sex.
