PRINCE Andrew must now come clean and apologise to Virginia Giuffre’s family, a lawyer who represents Epstein victims said.
Lisa Bloom said it was “absurd” the Duke of York claimed he had never met Virginia, who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was 17.
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A now infamous photo taken in 2001 shows Andrew with his arm around Virginia, with Jeffrey Epstein‘s warped madam Ghislaine Maxwell in the background.
Andrew has previously claimed the picture is fake – and even went as far to claim he had never met Virginia.
She accused the prince of sexually abusing her on three occasions, which he vehemently denies.
He later settled a court case with her for a reported £12million.
Lisa told The Sun: “It’s always a good time to come clean, to confess to apologise to her family now.
“I certainly hope Prince Andrew is not going to benefit from this tragedy.
“I don’t want to go as far and blame Andrew, but he is responsible for his part in her life.
“He is clearly overreaching when he says he never met her.
“He fought her and fought her, and eventually reached a settlement. I think that also speaks volumes.
“Nobody would do that if they had not had some wrongdoing.
“Unfortunately with her gone now you could say, well, maybe it’s too late.
“But I’m sure her family and all the many sexual abuse victims who admired her and followed her would still appreciate it if he would come clean.”
Virginia claims she was trafficked to Andrew after becoming a victim of convicted paedophile Epstein and his enabler Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence.
British socialite Maxwell was a close pal of Andrew and the two have known each other from their university days, and she later introduced him to Epstein.
Virginia sued Andrew in 2021, claiming she was forced to have sex with the Duke on three occasions when she was a teen.
She alleged was made to have sex with Andrew for the first time at Maxwell’s house in London after a night out at the club Tramp.
The mum also claimed she was forced to have sex with the Duke on at least two further occasions by Maxwell and Epstein.
Who was Virginia Giuffre?
VIRGINIA Roberts – later Virginia Giuffre, 41, was an American-Australian campaigner and a prominent victim of the sex trafficking ring of Jeffrey Epstein.
She made claims against Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, as well as Brit socialite Ghislaine Maxwell – Jeffrey Epstein’s ex-lover.
Giuffre alleged in court documents that she was procured by Maxwell, 63, the daughter of disgraced tycoon Robert Maxwell, as a teenage “sex slave” for Epstein.
She released a manuscript just hours before Epstein’s death, which added to more than 2,000 documents of a lawsuit pending against the former financier and his pals.
The legal documents were released in a defamation case involving Giuffre, who has claimed in court documents that Prince Andrew slept with her three times.
In 2019, Virginia Roberts claimed that she had sex with Prince Andrew in a toilet when she was 17, after a night where he had allegedly been plying her with vodka in a posh London club.
On February 15, 2022, it was announced that Prince Andrew settled the lawsuit – sparing him a humiliating court battle.
She died by suicide on April 25, 2025 at her home in Western Australia.
But during his notorious car crash Newsnight interview, Andrew sensationally claimed he had never met Virginia.
He also famously claimed during the 2019 chat that he was medically unable to perspire, a response to Ms Giuffre’s account of an alleged sweaty dance in London.
Three years later, Andrew paid millions to Virginia after she sued him – sparing him a humiliating court battle.
Asked if we could ever see the royal brought to justice, Bloom said: “I don’t think so. I think that time has passed – and that’s unfortunate.”
The attorney praised Virginia’s bravery over the years but told how many sexual abuse victims suffer in silence.
“Virginia is like so many women I have represented over the years,” Bloom said.
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“What you see in public is one face, but in private there’s so much pain. There is so often depression and suicidality.
“A big part of what my team and I do as advocates for sexual assault victims is shoring them up, getting them a good therapist, trying to get them strong enough to come and testify.
“Sexual assault is so devastating to the psyche.
“I just wish she were still here. I wish I could give her a hug and tell her it’s going to get better, that people love and admire her.
“I will certainly never forget her. She was truly an inspirational young woman, so brave. And it’s just heartbreaking.”
Virginia became known as one of the most outspoken of Epstein’s victims
American-born Virginia became an advocate for sex trafficking survivors after emerging as a central figure in the prolonged downfall of paedophile Epstein.
‘No way back’ for Andrew
Exclusive by Matt Wilkinson and Ryan Parry
PRINCE Andrew’s “delusional” comeback dreams are over after the death of his sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre, insiders say.
He remained silent on her suicide as a source said: “The door to a return is firmly closed.”
Just weeks before her death, sources close to the Duke claimed the King’s brother was “completely unsurprised” that an Instagram message saying that Virginia had four days to live after a road crash “turned out to be a fabrication”.
She said she was admitted to hospital after her car was hit by a bus. But police in Australia said they only had reports of a “minor crash” with no injuries sustained.
Other friends had suggested her admission in November 2022 that she “may have made a mistake” in alleging that paedophile US tycoon Jeffrey Epstein had trafficked her to lawyer Alan Dershowitz could have offered a way out for Andy.
One insider told The Sun yesterday: “Any notion that the message or her bus crash story could somehow make her an unreliable witness has now disappeared. The door is firmly closed on any return.”
There are now calls for him to “honour” his words when he paid millions to Virginia in 2022 and “pledged to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking and by supporting its victims”.
Andy’s office and Buckingham Palace both released public statements during the Duke’s highly-damaging China spy drama after court documents revealed his links to alleged spook Chris Yang.
But they have been silent since Virginia took her own life.
But royal sources insist that he will never return to be a working royal after he was stripped of his titles and roles by the late Queen Elizabeth due to the allegations and links to the late Epstein.
One insider said: “Andrew does deep down harbour hopes that he can make a comeback — but they are delusional hopes.”
She came forward publicly after the initial investigation ended in an 18-month Florida jail term for Epstein, who made a secret deal and was released in 2009.
In subsequent lawsuits, Virginia said she was a spa attendant as a teen at Mar-a-Lago – US President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach club – when she was approached in 2000 by Maxwell.
She was hired as a masseuse for Epstein and was flown around the world for meetings with men at his behest while she was 17 and 18.
Bloom said: “Virginia was not only a very brave advocate for herself, which is hard enough standing up against what she went through, but for all sexual assault victims.
“She spoke out again and again, she was really a leader in the community.
“She was incredibly brave. It is just devastating news.
“Many of my clients in high profile sexual assault cases, whether it was against Jeffrey Epstein or any other high profile person, really admired her.
“[They were] inspired by her courage. Her social media posts were very moving and empowering to a lot of people.”
You’re Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
