Virginia Giuffre was plagued by fears that her enemies were trying to smear her reputation in the months before she died, The Mail on Sunday has learned.
The suicide of the woman who accused Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse came after her troubles overwhelmed her.
‘Being discredited was one of the many things distressing her in recent months,’ said a friend.
In the end, a rancorous divorce and ongoing separation from her three children, who remain in their father’s custody, appeared to have finally tipped Ms Giuffre over the edge.
She was found dead at her farm near Perth, Australia, on Friday night.
Her sister-in-law, Amanda Roberts, said: ‘She wished for all survivors to get justice. That is who she was. We lost our sister. Her children lost their mother and her mother lost her daughter. She was one of the most beautiful souls you would ever have the chance to meet. But I think sometimes, that load and that weight becomes too much to carry.’
Before she died, family members had expressed fears over her mental state. Her father Sky Roberts said his daughter was ‘very depressed’ and ‘in really bad shape’.
Friends of the 41-year-old said Ms Giuffre was ‘deeply upset’ about being mocked over a picture she posted of herself in a hospital bed last month.
Before she died, family members had expressed fears over her mental state. Her father Sky Roberts said his daughter was ‘very depressed’ and ‘in really bad shape’
Ms Giuffre had accused the Duke of York of sexually assaulting her when she was 17 after she was trafficked to London
She claimed she had been involved in a car crash that left her with only four days to live – but the accident was nothing more than a minor bump.
A spokesman for Ms Giuffre said she had ‘made a mistake’ and had not intended to make the post public. But it led to claims that the episode had destroyed her credibility, with some of Andrew’s supporters calling her a ‘fantasist’.
Ms Giuffre had accused the Duke of York of sexually assaulting her when she was 17 after she was trafficked to London. It led to him ‘stepping back’ from public life in 2019. He has always vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
Ms Giuffre launched a civil lawsuit, alleging she was coerced into having sex with him.
In 2022 the Duke agreed an out-of-court settlement – thought to be between £3 million and £12 million – despite denying he sexually abused her.
Sources close to Andrew said yesterday that he intends keeping his thoughts on the death of his accuser to himself.
They said he resolved to draw a veil over the Epstein scandal long ago, conscious that any public intervention would be foolhardy in light of his humiliating 2019 Panorama TV interview, which resulted in nationwide ridicule and criticism for failing to express regret for his involvement with Epstein or sympathy for the victims.
One source said: ‘What can he say now? [Ms Giuffre] is a mother of three children. It’s a tragedy.’
Yesterday, Ms Giuffre’s family described her as ‘a fierce warrior’ and ‘the light that lifted so many survivors’.
She claimed she had been involved in a car crash that left her with only four days to live – but the accident was nothing more than a minor bump
Virginia Giuffre was plagued by fears that her enemies were trying to smear her reputation in the months before she died, The Mail on Sunday has learned
They said in a statement that ‘in the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle’.
Their sentiments were echoed by her lawyer David Boies. He 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 several Epstein victims added: ‘Abuse victims never truly recover… Despite her remarkable strength and resilience, [Ms Giuffre] fought valiantly against her wealthy and powerful abusers. It is both saddening and not surprising that she chose to end her life.’
Last night a source said: ‘Virginia’s life imploded in recent months. Her marriage broke down and she was in severe physical and mental pain. She had been taking prescription pain pills since she was with Epstein. She has not seen her kids since her husband filed a restraining order earlier this year.
‘She was due in court as she broke that order. She was concerned about all the things being said about her. But her main worry was not being able to see her children. That was what broke her.’
Emergency services received a report about a woman found unresponsive at a home in Neergabby, 12 miles north of Perth, at about 9.50pm local time on Friday. She was declared dead at the scene.
‘She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking,’ said her family’s statement.
A source said Ms Giuffre felt ‘ashamed’ she was able to bring down Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, but was unable to find the strength to leave her unhappy marriage.
Her father Sky told the Daily Mail before her death: ‘There’s everything else she’s been going through with the divorce and not being able to see her kids. I’m hoping she can hang on. She’s only 41. She’s got a lot of life to live.’
Two weeks earlier, Ms Giuffre posted several photographs of her three ‘beautiful babies’, writing: ‘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.’
