Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse, has died by suicide at the age of 41, her family has confirmed.
Giuffre was one of the most vocal accusers of convicted sex offenders Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, his former girlfriend.
She alleged they trafficked her to Prince Andrew when she was just 17 years old, a claim the Duke of York has vehemently denied.
In a statement released on Friday, Giuffre's family described her as a "fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse," acknowledging that the "toll of abuse... became unbearable."
"She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking," the statement read.
The family remembered Giuffre, a mother of three, as "the light that lifted so many survivors."
She was found unresponsive on Friday at her farm in Western Australia.
Police in Western Australia confirmed they were called to a home in the Neergabby area that evening, where they discovered Giuffre's body.
An investigation is underway, but early indications suggest that her death is not suspicious.
Giuffre, originally from the US, had been living with her children and husband, Robert, in North Perth, although recent reports indicated the couple had separated after 22 years of marriage.
Three weeks before her death, Giuffre posted on Instagram to say she had been seriously injured in a car crash, a statement her family later clarified had not been intended for public release.
In the post, Giuffre shared that doctors had informed her she only had a few days to live following the accident. She claimed that her car had been struck by a school bus travelling over 60mph, which led to kidney failure.
A photo accompanying the post showed severe bruising to her face and chest.
In her post, Giuffre expressed that she was "ready to die," saying, “I’ve gone into kidney renal failure, they’ve given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology. I’m ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time.”
Local police later disputed the severity of the crash. Giuffre’s long-time spokesperson, Dini von Mueffling, praised her as "one of the most extraordinary human beings I have ever had the honour to know," adding that she was a "beacon to other survivors and victims."
Giuffre became a prominent figure in the fight against sexual abuse after going public with her allegations.
She was closely associated with the Me Too movement and campaigned for justice for survivors.
Giuffre’s allegations against Epstein and Maxwell included claims that she was trafficked to Prince Andrew when she was 17. The prince, who denied all the allegations, reached an out-of-court settlement with her in 2022.
The settlement included a statement in which Andrew expressed regret for his association with Epstein but made no admission of liability or apology.
Giuffre's experience began when she met Maxwell in 2000.
She claimed she was introduced to Epstein shortly after and suffered years of abuse by Epstein and his associates.
Epstein died by suicide in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
He had been convicted in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Maxwell, who was convicted for her role in Epstein’s trafficking and abuse, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
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