Who is Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre?
Outspoken Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre wrote a memoir before she died by suicide earlier this year.
This story contains graphic depictions that some readers may find disturbing.
The upcoming memoir of one of Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Giuffre, sheds light on the notorious financier’s abuses from the perspective of one of his most vocal victims.
“She wanted all of her suffering to accomplish something. She said that if she could help just one victim of abuse, it would be worth all the effort,” co-author Amy Wallace writes in a note at the beginning of the book. This memo was obtained by USA TODAY ahead of its release.
Giuffre, born Virginia Roberts, played a key role in the investigation that ultimately led to criminal charges against Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. The 400-page book was written before Giuffre died by suicide near her home in Australia in April.
In it, Giuffre talks about her relationship with Epstein and Maxwell, alleging abuse at the hands of “numerous powerful people” and explaining how she broke free from the notorious couple’s grip. She also details what she claims was an abusive relationship with her father (which he denies in a statement included in the book) and her life as one of Epstein’s most outspoken accusers.
Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice is scheduled to be released on October 21st. Here’s some of what Virginia Giuffre has written in her upcoming book.
Epstein, Maxwell “Half of an Evil Whole”
Giuffre said that while the relationship between Epstein and Maxwell was not a loving one, the two “had a completely symbiotic relationship.”
Ms Guiffre claimed the two preyed on her insecurities stemming from her turbulent childhood.
“Epstein often told me what I wanted to hear: that I was smart and full of potential,” she wrote, adding, “Some of his other victims have talked about experiencing Stockholm Syndrome. … Today, I find out I was too.”
She added that Epstein and Maxwell became like pseudo-parents to her, “consolidating their power over me by providing me with a new kind of family.”
Giuffre noted that Maxwell was deeply involved in Epstein’s abuse allegations and recruitment, writing: “Maxwell in particular was adept at sensing what particular girls wanted and needed, tailoring his pitches to maximize their appeal.”
“Over time, I came to see Epstein and Maxwell not as boyfriend and girlfriend, but as two halves of an evil whole,” Giuffre wrote.
In an interview with “CBS Sunday Morning” accompanying the release of excerpts on Oct. 19, Wallace said he did not believe Maxwell should receive a pardon from President Donald Trump. President Trump has not ruled out a pardon.
“This woman was complicit in sexual abuse and should never be forgiven,” Wallace said.
Giuffre warns readers not to be fooled
Giuffre argued that those around Epstein would have been aware of his abuse, and said readers should “not be fooled by those who say they didn’t know.”
“Anyone who has spent any significant amount of time with Epstein has likely seen him touching girls in ways you wouldn’t want a creepy old man touching his daughter,” she wrote. “Even men who did not take up Epstein’s advances could see naked photos on Epstein’s walls and naked girls on his island and by the pool.”
Ms. Giuffre said she did not know whether Mr. Epstein had threatened any of her colleagues, but said Mr. Epstein kept a video library and showed her the video surveillance room in his Manhattan townhouse.
A footnote on page 113 of the book points to a 2023 Wall Street Journal report about an apparent blackmail attempt against Bill Gates using information about his affair with a 20-year-old Russian bridge player, and how fellow victim Lisa Phillips recalled that Epstein told her that “it’s good to tell people.”
Giuffre restricts names of abusers to protect family
Giuffre limited the names of her abusers in her book, but noted that some of their identities were included in court documents unsealed in 2019. She mentioned a stash of allegations against Prince Andrew.
She said some of her alleged abusers threatened to “file a lawsuit to bankrupt” her. She singled out one anonymous abuser who she claimed threatened to use “vast resources to take me to court for the rest of my life,” and another who claimed she would “be embroiled in an expensive and life-ruining lawsuit.”
Giuffre wrote that she chose to omit part of her abuser’s name.
“Some readers may wonder about my reluctance to name many of my abusers. If I am indeed a fighter for justice, why haven’t I brought charges against them?” Giuffre wrote. “First and foremost, I’m a parent and I’m not going to put my family at risk in any way I can.”
Wallace supported Giuffre’s claims in an interview on “CBS Sunday Morning.”
“What she always said to me was, ‘I may not remember the day or the time or the date, but if a man raped me six inches from my face, I would remember his face,'” Wallace said.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline provides free, confidential, 24/7 support in English and Spanish to survivors and their loved ones: 800.656.HOPE (4673) Hotline.RAINN.org and in spanish RAINN.org/es.
