'I was friends with Virginia Giuffre – she would have one-word response to Andrew arrest'

A model who befriended Virginia Giuffre has shared how she believes the late survivor would react to news of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest. Ms Giuffre was the former Duke of York's most prominent accuser before she died by suicide in April 2025. Last week, Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Ms Giuffre's friend, Thysia Huisman, appeared on Monday's (February 23) instalment of Good Morning Britain, where she spoke about her own experiences with sexual abuse. As a young model, Ms Huisman was introduced to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by model agent Jean-Luc Brunel. Shortly after turning 18, Ms Huisman claimed she was raped by Brunel. In 2021, Ms Huisman met Ms Giuffre when the latter was testifying in court in Paris.

Recounting their first meeting, she told Ed Balls and Susanna Reid: "I get goosebumps. It was really emotional. She has been such a force and inspiration. It was a really heartfelt moment because we looked into each other's eyes and you don't have to explain. You know what you've been through."

Ms Huisman said: "I think she would say, 'Finally. At least there's something.'"

She continued: "I also think it's a good thing that he's finally been arrested because he paid her a settlement of millions. That's not because he was innocent. It's good that he was arrested. Of course, it's frustrating because it was not for abusing girls but it was for misconduct in office."

Andrew was released under investigation. He has denied all allegations made against him.

Ms Giuffre brought a defamation case against Epstein in 2015 when she alleged that he, alongside convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, sex-trafficked her when she was just 16 years old in 2000.

Ms Giuffre claimed she was forced to have sex with Andrew, 66, three times when she was 17 – in New York, London, and the US Virgin Islands. Andrew has repeatedly denied the claims but settled a lawsuit with Ms Giuffre in 2022 without accepting any liability for an undisclosed amount. 

During the programme, Ms Huisman recalled being introduced to Epstein in 1991 when she was an aspiring model in Paris. "The same week, I was drugged and abused by Jean-Luc Brunel," Ms Huisman said.

The former Dutch model admitted she "escaped Paris" and never returned – until she reported Brunel to the French police 27 years later. 

However, because the statute of limitations had expired, the police were unable to convict Brunel of the crime. However, Ms Huisman was vocal in the media in the hopes of convincing other victims to come forward. 

After seeing Ms Giuffre's claims that she was also abused by Brunel, Ms Huisman reached out. The pair were intially in contact online before meeting in person in Paris. 

According to documents released in 2026, Brunel was included on a list of Epstein's "10 co-conspirators" within an FBI email in July 2019. Just two months later, his Paris home and offices were searched by investigators as part of a probe into sex trafficking by Epstein.

In 2021, Brunel was charged with drugging and raping a 17-year-old girl in the 1990s. He denied any wrongdoing. In February 2022, Brunel was found dead in his jail cell in La Santé Prison. His death was ruled suicide by hanging.