Virginia Giuffre, the woman who publicly accused financier Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew of sexual abuse, has died by suicide in Western Australia. She was 41.

Her family released a statement on Saturday confirming her death. “It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia,” they said. “She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.”

Western Australia Police reported that emergency services responded late Friday night to a residence in Neergabby, north of Perth, after receiving an alert that a woman had been found unresponsive. “Sadly, the 41-year-old woman was declared deceased at the scene,” police stated. “Early indication is the death is not suspicious.”

A life shaped by trauma, transformed into advocacy

Giuffre, a dual citizen of the United States and Australia, became internationally known after naming Epstein and Prince Andrew as her abusers. She said she had been trafficked by Epstein and his former partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, and was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17 years old. The Prince has denied the allegation but settled out of court in 2022 with a reported multimillion-dollar payment.

Born Virginia Louise Roberts, she had a difficult upbringing. She said she was molested by a family friend from the age of seven, ran away as a teenager, and ended up homeless. In a 2019 interview with the BBC’s Panorama, she recalled, “I was just so mentally scarred already at such a young age, and I ran away from that.”

She told the Miami Herald she had gone “from an abusive situation, to being a runaway, to living in foster homes.” At 14, she lived on the streets. At 15, she was reportedly trafficked by Ron Eppinger, a 65-year-old sex offender in Miami who ran a fake modelling agency called Perfect 10. He was later arrested and pleaded guilty to sex trafficking charges.

Giuffre was recruited into Epstein’s network while working at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. She later became one of the first survivors to speak publicly and demand accountability from Epstein and his elite circle.

Legal fights and global attention

Giuffre’s testimony became central to the criminal investigations into Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite now serving a 20-year prison sentence in Florida for her role in trafficking underage girls.

Giuffre founded a non-profit in 2015 called Victims Refuse Silence, which was relaunched as Speak Out, Act, Reclaim (SOAR) in 2021. Her goal was to help other survivors find the strength to come forward.

She famously sued Prince Andrew in 2021. Though he never admitted guilt, the out-of-court settlement included a donation to a charity for sex-trafficking victims.

Her attorney, Sigrid McCawley, called her “a dear friend” and praised her bravery. “Her courage pushed me to fight harder, and her strength was awe-inspiring.”

Recent struggles before her death

In late March, Giuffre was involved in a car crash with a school bus north of Perth. In a now-deleted Instagram post, she shared a picture of herself in a hospital bed, bruised and in pain. She said doctors had given her four days to live due to renal failure and expressed hope she could see her children one last time.

“They've given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology,” she wrote. “Thank you all for being the wonderful people of the world and for being a great part of my life.”

Her agent later clarified that Giuffre did not intend for the message to be shared publicly.

Local reports also highlighted tensions in her personal life. She had been in conflict with her estranged husband, Robert, and faced legal issues earlier this year, including allegations of breaching a family violence restraining order. Her agent stated Giuffre was “deeply concerned” about her children’s wellbeing and intended to fight what they described as “his malicious claim.”

Virginia Giuffre leaves behind three children — Christian, Noah, and Emily — whom her family described as “the light of her life.”

Giuffre’s death comes amid renewed efforts to investigate Epstein’s connections and the alleged cover-ups that followed. Epstein died in 2019 while awaiting trial in a Manhattan jail. Though his death was ruled a suicide, many have questioned that conclusion. In 2024, victims filed a lawsuit accusing the FBI of failing to properly investigate the case and protecting powerful individuals.

The Trump administration has promised to release all relevant documents linked to Epstein, including names of high-profile associates. While the first set of files released in February contained no major revelations, further disclosures are expected.

Giuffre’s agent, Dini von Mueffling, described her client as “one of the most extraordinary human beings.” She added, “Deeply loving, wise, and funny, she was a beacon to other survivors and victims.”

Her family remembered her as a fighter and a light in the darkness. “Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors,” they said. “Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure.”

“In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight. We know that she is with the angels.”

(With inputs from agencies)