Virginia Giuffre 'extremely distressed' about Prince Andrew payout before her death
Virginia Giuffre was concerned her multi-million pound payout from Prince Andrew could be at risk two weeks before she took her own life, sources have said
Virginia Giuffre was reportedly left "extremely distressed" upon discovering that her substantial settlement from Prince Andrew could be jeopardized, just two weeks before she took her own life.
The mother of three feared the loss of her wealth following a defamation lawsuit by another survivor of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse.
Giuffre, who passed away on April 25 in Australia, faced legal action from artist Rina Oh, who accused her of wrongly identifying her as Epstein's girlfriend and one of his recruiters.
According to New York legislation, the £7.5million lawsuit will now be transferred to Giuffre's estate.
In the days preceding her suicide, sources close to Giuffre revealed she was battling depression due to her crumbling marriage, the custody of her children going to her spouse, and the potential forfeiture of her financial assets.
A confidant disclosed to the Mirror: "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 this with the years of abuse she suffered at the hands of Epstein."
Tweets under Ms Giuffre's name included allegations not just about Epstein, but also accusing Ms Oh of physical assault. Ms Oh has strongly refuted the claims and asserts that she was also exploited by Epstein.
A court document from her attorney stated: "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]," reports the Mirror.
Continuing, the legal filing emphasized: "[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 became a point of interest for Andrew's defense team when Ms Giuffre brought forward a sex abuse lawsuit against the King's brother in 2021—a claim he strenuously denied.
The dispute with Andrew culminated in an out-of-court settlement rumored at £12m.
Less than a month before Ms Giuffre's untimely death, her attempt to have one of Ms Oh's civil lawsuits dismissed was rejected by the New York State Appellate Court.
Ms Giuffre stood among the earliest accusers to bring forth allegations against Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, charging them with trafficking young girls.
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