Prince Andrew Settles Sexual Abuse Lawsuit With Virginia Giuffre

Prince Andrew has reached a settlement with a woman who sued him over accusations that he sexually abused her when she was a teenager, according to court documents filed Tuesday.

Virginia Giuffre’s lawsuit is now expected to be dismissed within 30 days, according to a letter filed by Giuffre’s high-powered attorney David Boies. The letter, which announced the settlement, also included an unsigned statement about the settlement.

“Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre’s character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks. It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years,” the statement reads. “Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others. He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims.”

Giuffre had said that she met Prince Andrew through the late, notorious financier Jeffrey Epstein, and that she was forced into sexual encounters with the royal in London, New York City, and Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

Prince Andrew has continued to deny wrongdoing and tried to distance himself from Epstein, who died in custody in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges. But the prince’s attempts to recover his reputation have failed, and he’s been largely shut out of public life. In January, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Andrew’s mother, stripped him of his military affiliations and royal patronages. 

Prince Andrew had tried to quash Giuffre’s lawsuit, but a New York federal judge ruled in January that it could move forward. 

The court documents do not reveal the exact financial terms of the settlement. However, Prince Andrew “intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre's charity in support of victims’ rights,” according to the statement.

Prior to the settlement, Prince Andrew was set to be questioned in a deposition, under oath, by Giuffre’s legal team. Now, the settlement likely means that answers about Prince Andrew’s association with Epstein, and indeed about Epstein’s links to British elites, will remain elusive. 

In her lawsuit, Giuffre had said that Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former associate, helped connect her to Prince Andrew. Maxwell was recently convicted of five federal charges related to sex trafficking and is now asking for a new trial.