Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre was 'bullied' at time of her death, friend claims
A friend of Virginia Giuffre said she was being bullied online at the time of her death in April.
A woman who accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault - claims he has always denied - was reportedly being bullied by people online at the time of her death. Virginia Giuffre, who previously said she had been trafficked by Epstein as a teenager, died on April 25, with reports suggesting she died by suicide.
In 2021, Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit in New York saying she had been forced by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17. Andrew, 65, has always denied the allegations and settled out of court for an undisclosed sum, with the settlement not representing an admission of liability.
Now, just months after Giuffre's death in April, a friend and fellow victim of Epstein said that Giuffre was being bullied on social media at the time of her death.
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Speaking to the BBC, Giuffre’s friend and former model Anouska De Georgiou - who was also one of Epstein’s victims - said Giuffre was being bullied online when she died.
She said: "There's an opportunity here after her death and perhaps even because of her death for us to get a greater understanding of the trajectory of recovery from abuses of this type and to learn a little bit more about how nonlinear that recovery is and how triggers come.
"Recovery ebs and flows and, of course, Virginia was being bullied online and she was in the midst of trying to navigate through recovering whilst simultaneously continuing to be attacked.
"If you look at her social media you will see hundreds, even thousands, of comments from people saying that she was not telling the truth that they were glad that she had passed. I'd like to remember Virginia as somebody who was brave, was courageous, was deeply troubled. Without her none of what took place would have been possible."
Don't miss: Prince Harry ‘set to snub’ Meghan Markle in second series of Netflix show
Don't miss: Meghan Markle's thinly veiled 'threat' to the Royal Family with key move
Don't miss: King Charles sends clear message to Prince Harry with David Beckham knighthood
A family statement at the time of Giuffre’s death confirmed she passed away at her farm in Western Australia and “lost her life to suicide”.
The emotional statement read: “She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.
“In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight.
“Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure".
