In her final, harrowing weeks, Virginia Giuffre reportedly lived in fear, tormented by the belief that enemies were intent on destroying her. Friends and family say the woman who bravely took on Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew was overwhelmed by pressures that became impossible to bear.
Virginia, 41, was found dead at her rural property near Perth, Australia, on Friday night, after a period described by those closest to her as deeply distressing.
“Being discredited was one of the many things distressing her in recent months,” a close friend revealed. Family members had raised the alarm about her fragile state long before tragedy struck. Her father, Sky Roberts, described how she had fallen into a deep depression, saying: “She was very depressed, and in really bad shape.”
Those who knew her best point to the collapse of her marriage, a court battle that left her estranged from her three children, and vicious online trolling. One incident that deeply wounded her involved a hospital bed photo she posted online, in which she wrongly claimed she had just days to live after a car crash.
In truth, it had been a minor accident, and although 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” a devastating blow to a woman who had risked everything by coming forward, the Daily Mail reports.
Virginia’s life had already been marred by unimaginable trauma. She was just 17 when, trafficked by Epstein, she alleged she was forced to have sex with the Duke of York, claims Andrew has always strongly denied.
The accusations led to the prince stepping back from royal duties following a disastrous BBC interview in 2019 that further intensified public scrutiny. In 2022, Prince Andrew paid Virginia a multimillion-pound settlement without admitting any wrongdoing.
Despite the apparent legal triumph, Virginia’s personal world was unravelling behind the scenes. “Her life imploded in recent months,” a source said. “She hadn’t seen her kids in months. That was what broke her.”
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.”
On Friday evening, emergency services were called to her home in Neergabby, about 12 miles north of Perth, but 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.”
Spencer Kuvin, who represented other Epstein victims, said Virginia’s death, while heartbreaking, was sadly unsurprising: “Abuse victims never truly recover… Despite her remarkable strength and resilience, [Ms Giuffre] fought valiantly against her wealthy and powerful abusers.”
Sources close to Virginia said she had been battling severe physical pain for years, relying on prescription medication, a legacy of the trauma she endured during her time with Epstein.
She also faced looming legal battles of her own. Having allegedly broken the restraining order, she was due in court — another stressor compounding her fragile mental state. “She felt ashamed she couldn’t hold her family together,” one source said. “She had taken down Epstein and Maxwell but couldn’t find the strength to leave her unhappy marriage.”
While Prince Andrew has maintained silence over Virginia’s death, insiders suggest he is unlikely to comment publicly, having long decided that addressing the Epstein scandal any further would only worsen matters. Virginia’s family and friends are mourning a woman they describe as “a fierce warrior” who had the odds stacked against her.
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