Newly released court documents reveal that Virginia Giuffre, an accuser of Jeffrey Epstein, has claimed that the disgraced financier paid her $15,000 to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was just 17 years old.
The Allegation
In the latest batch of documents from Giuffre's lawsuit against Epstein's business partner Ghislaine Maxwell, the allegation came to light. Giuffre accused Maxwell of being the mastermind behind her alleged sexual abuse at the hands of Epstein.
Settlement and Release of Documents
The lawsuit between Giuffre and Maxwell was settled in 2017, but the terms and discussions were never made public. However, last week, a series of documents related to the case started to be released following an order by Judge Loretta Preska of the Southern District of New York.
What the Documents Contain
The recently released documents include legal briefs, deposition transcripts, and police reports. These documents follow a previous release of filings that were unsealed on Monday, which were tied to another Epstein victim, Sarah Ransome.
Giuffre's Deposition
Among the documents is Giuffre's deposition, where she was questioned by Epstein's attorney Alan Dershowitz. During the deposition, Dershowitz asked Giuffre if she had been paid $10 to $15,000 by Epstein for having sex with Prince Andrew. Giuffre confirmed that she had received $15,000 in American dollars.
Prince Andrew's Denial
Prince Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to the allegations against Epstein and Maxwell. However, Giuffre claims that Andrew had sex with her after she was trafficked at the age of 17.
Maxwell's Testimony
In her deposition, Maxwell admitted that Prince Andrew had visited Epstein's private island, known as "Paedo Island," but stated that he was only there once. She also claimed that the only women present on the island were Epstein's staff members. Despite photographs showing Maxwell, Giuffre, and Andrew together in London, Maxwell said she did not recall being in London with Giuffre and Andrew.
Prince Andrew's Lawsuit and Settlement
In 2021, Giuffre sued Prince Andrew for battery and infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit was settled in February 2022, with reports estimating that Andrew paid millions of pounds to settle, despite his previous denial of ever having met Giuffre.
