Friday was the count deadline for Prince Andrew to file his legal response to Virginia Giuffre’s civil lawsuit. She’s suing Andrew for sexual abuse, because this is basically her only course of action at this point. While various criminal investigations are still ongoing, Virginia has been trying to get justice for herself and other victims of human trafficking for the better part of two decades. Virginia and her lawyers have used to civil courts to track down evidence of what happened to her, and to get any admissions she can from the people responsible for Jeffrey Epstein’s human trafficking ring. Virginia sued Ghislaine Maxwell, took a settlement from Maxwell and said “no thanks” to an NDA. My guess is that Virginia would settle for something similar from Andrew: a cash settlement, an admission of some sort, and in exchange, she’ll continue to refuse to sign an NDA. In any case, for now Andrew is “fighting” the lawsuit. His legal response was basically to accuse Virginia of trying to get money from him.
Prince Andrew has fired back at a woman’s ‘frivolous’ sex-assault lawsuit claiming she’s just out for a ‘payday’ in a shock motion he filed to dismiss the claims on Friday, which also accused her of helping Ghislaine Maxwell in her sex trafficking ring with Jeffrey Epstein. Virginia Giuffre, 38, is being slammed by the prince for her supposed false accusations that the Duke of York sexually abused her three times back in 2001 when she was just 17 years old – more than two decades ago.
In court documents filed in US District Court in Manhattan today – which was the court-imposed deadline for the prince to respond to Giuffre’s suit – Andrew, 61, urged a US judge to dismiss her lawsuit, calling the claims ‘baseless’ in an effort to ‘achieve another payday’. Virginia alleges that she was forced into sex with Andrew at Maxwell’s London townhouse, sex pest Jeffrey Epstein’s mansion in Manhattan and one of Epstein’s private villas in the Virgin Islands.
Andrew said in response: ‘Virginia Giuffre may well be a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein…and nothing can excuse, nor fully capture, the abhorrence and gravity of Epstein’s monstrous behavior against Giuffre, if so. However, and without diminishing the harm suffered as a results of Epstein’s alleged misconduct, Prince Andrew never sexually abused or assaulted Giuffre. He unequivocally denies Giuffre’s false allegations against him.’
The court documents went on to point out that ‘for over a decade, Giuffre has profited from her allegations against Epstein and others by selling stories and photographs to the press and entering into secret agreements to resolve her claims against her alleged abusers, including Epstein and his ex-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell’.
Although it is unclear how much money she received through a settlement with the Epstein Victims Compensation Fund (EVFF), the compensation was reportedly worth more than $121million.
‘Epstein’s abuse of Giuffre does not justify her public campaign against Prince Andrew,’ the motion read, adding that her ‘pattern of filing a series of lawsuits against numerous high-profile individuals should no longer be tolerated, as it continues to irreparably harm many innocent people. Most people could only dream of obtaining the sums of money that Giuffre has secured for herself over the years,’ Andrew claimed, noting that the money could serve as a ‘compelling motive for Giuffre to continue filing frivolous lawsuits against individuals such as Prince Andrew’.
Andrew’s defense is basically that everyone should ignore everything we already know about Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and the lives they destroyed by trafficking in girls and very young women. Ignore the buffet of evidence already in the public sphere, not to mention the evidence which is still under seal by various jurisdictions and law enforcement offices. Andrew says: ignore all of that and believe ME when I say that Virginia is just saying this to get money from decent, hard-working human traffickers. And not just that, he’s saying that Virginia has already gotten “enough” money from Epstein’s estate and Maxwell, so why is she bothering him? Personally, I think it speaks volumes that Virginia has already gotten millions from her settlements and she’s still pursuing it. She still wants justice in any form she can get. Arguing that the teenager you raped is now a wealthy woman because she got settlements from the people who trafficked her… isn’t actually a sound legal argument.
Also: I edited out one of Andrew’s other legal arguments, which cited a NYDN article which smeared Virginia, a victim of human trafficking and rape, as culpable in the recruitment of other victims. Andrew is a complete ghoul.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, BBC screencaps.
I am so sick of rich white men, and corporations controlled by rich white men, thinking they get to decide that women have “enough” money and should just shut up and go away.
Yup, It’s like Marvel saying Scarjo got paid plenty and how dare she expect us to uphold her contract.
I was just going to say “ScarJo Defense” seems like the latest inept excuse of rich miscreants!
Exactly what I was thinking @Mac
As an MCU fan who supported scarjo, I just want to say it wasn’t marvel trying to screw her, it was Disney.
Sick of it, too.
The excrement at the bottom of my damn shoe is more worthy than Andrew. At least a dog was relieved.
I was watching the “Diana” series on CNN last night, and that’s basically what Camilla said to Diana at one point – you have enough, go away. Striking adherence to brand….
F u Pedo Andrew, and twice every morning for smearing a victim of your own criminality and then blaming her for the harm you and other wealthy, powerful people caused.
I cannot stand this man. Thank you Kaiser for editing that grotesque smear out.
Yeah I hope she rips him a new sweaty one.
Me too, i am tired of all of them in that un.royal family.
This is a word salad. Notice how he died not deny having sex with her? Well, she was 17 and you had her in USA too, Andi,.so pay her what she is asking- it is not like it is your money…
Yeah, she have gotten some money, but you know what? I bet if she had the choice of getting money or not being a victim, she would pick the latter. The implication that she is “profiting” off her experience is gross.
I’m sure she would have preferred to see justice served in the criminal courts, but since she and all of Epstein’s victims were denied justice by the prosecutors in Florida, civil action is her only recourse.
That’s rich coming from a family who basically colonized a large percent of the world and looted, stole, plundered, trafficked and killed all for money.
Guess grandma needs another gold piano for Christmas?
Right? My jaw dropped. PRINCE Andrew is lecturing someone on how “most people could only dream of these sums of money”? Most people can only dream of your lifestyle too, but you aren’t stopping. What, cause you earned it and are worthy of it, lol?
Can someone explain “sex pest”? Where is this article from? I wanted to see if this is some kind of British slang if this is a British publication. Being unfamiliar with the term it reads to me as an incredibly dismissive way to talk about a pedophile and human trafficker. Just wanted to see if there was a meaning I don’t know about.
Sex Pest is a British slang term. I’ve mostly heard it used like one would use the word pervert. Like voyeurs or pervy guys that make women uncomfortable.
Crooks I came here to comment on the same thing! My husband is English and (my take) is this would be the guy at the bar that kept staring at young women, etc. Certainly not “pedophile rapist” (fixed it for you, DM).
Reading his defence over the weekend was genuinely making my blood boil in a way that no other royal has managed to make me do (I get annoyed but never blood boil levels). He’s completely spoilt, arrogant and shows no remorse for not just Virginia but victims of rape. And if this is the “best” defence his lawyers can come up with, he’s either got no defence whatsoever or he’s got terrible lawyers. Or both.
I think it’s the former. His lawyers are probably fine, but in Andrew, they have a client who thinks he’s done nothing wrong. So it’s very difficult to do much but try to dress up his thoughts (“she’s just out for money,” “I haven’t sweated for decades,” etc) in legal filings.
This will work out about as well for Andrew as his BBC interview.
“…continues to irreparably harm many other innocent people.”
Like who, Pedo Andy? Name one other innocent accused. Epstein? Guilty by accounts from multiple people. Ghislaine? She already settled. Dershowitz? His time is coming.
Andrew is guilty as sin and this defense strategy confirms that.
So effing what if she was just doing it for the money. He is victim shaming her and it STILL does not excuse the fact that he raped her 3 times and is a known paedophile, who (regularly) consorted with an honest to god sex trafficker.
Mommy’s favorite sex trafficker is at it again.
Let’s turn this around – Andy was just involved with Pitch@Palace for cuts of their money and he’s already rich enough.
If Charles is serious about downsizing the RF, he should start by allowing Pedrew to be on the balcony for the Jubilee nonsense, then shoving him over the railing. Perhaps into a pot of boiling oil.
God, I want to punch this man in the f–king skull.
If that *were* to happen, would Charles have diplomatic immunity? Or would it be a crime since they are in the UK? How would that work? Could you imagine the popularity Charles would get for taking out the trash?
So he’s going to push this false narrative until mommy dies.
What happens when she’s gone and Charles is in charge? Is he still going to avoid charges for rape? I sure as hell hope not
“I can’t believe the greed of this uncouth American…Mummy, I noticed you haven’t bought me a new sports car since 2019.”
He is such a vile “man”, I am certain he is complaining to his Mum! Prince Pedo is probably responsible for the great deal of stress that he is placing on her as well.
I think it interesting that he said he didn’t assault or abuse her, not use the all encompassing “relations”. He slept with her, had what he thought was consensual sex, didn’t think anything of it as age of consent is 16 in UK… She performed her duty, slept with the Prince, on more than one occasion, so Andrew’s problem is he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with having sex with a willing, of age, participant, so what the hell is everyone fussing about?
I don’t know if it’s willful ignorance or a legal tactic to completely disregard the why of how he met Virginia to even have sex with her. He seems to completely disregard the fact that meeting her through Epstein, who he even admits is guilty of trafficking, means she was trafficked to him. His lawyers are idiots too. They have got to know it’s a crime to have sex with a trafficked victim, you don’t get to plead innocent just because you pretend not to know it was a crime.
And now he wants to say that Virginia doesn’t deserve to go after him, she’s gotten enough money? Oh lord. His response is so bad, it’s comical. It’s a true grasping at straws defence. Classic victim blaming. It’s clear he committed the crime even if HE DOESN’T THINK IT WAS A CRIME. That’s just not how this works.
He;s hoping that slut shaming will work where legal arguments won’t.
Even though the age of consent is 16 in the UK, there are parameters to said consent, mainly she can’t be coerced or forced. He knew she was being trafficked and he didn’t care. He’s a nonce.
Additionally this took place in a state which has a higher age of consent so it does not matter what the UK laws are
He was hanging out with two criminals and he knew darn well where those girls came from. It was not like Ghislaine was Matchmaking, she was a Procurer.
@ Tessa, he clearly knew. Why else would he visit Epstein? Not to discuss royal matters or business matters with Epstein, or Maxwell for that matter. It was a party of plentiful young, underage women for those who were in their company.
The way this article is worded it sounds like even the DM is disgusted with Andrew. Wow, you have to be really appalling to earn that.
Despite Epstein being proven to be a sex trafficker; Virginia has continually been branded a liar by Andrew. At this point, I think she is more interested in the justice she could potentially get by the case going to trial. She didn’t sign a NDA for the Epstein settlement why would she sign one now. Andrew won’t settle without a NDA. He needs her silence in order to live the way he wants. The case being in the media in a way gives Virginia some measure of justice because at the very least it has forced him out of the public eye which is some form of punishment/consequence for him. I hope she has the strength to carry it through.
Did a fast read of the Motion Dismiss. Legal arguments are that: 1) Andrew is covered by the agreement Virginia signed releasing third parties of all future claims. They use the fact that she dropped her battery charges against Dershowitz as proof that the agreement is valid and legally binding; 2) the NY law that she uses to bring her case against Andrew is unconstitutional and violates his due process rights because it inappropriately allows her to revive her claim and bring it well after the limitations period for sexual battery; 3) if the court doesn’t grant Andrew’s motion to dismiss, the court should force Virginia to amend her complaint because her claims of sexual battery are so vague that Andrew cannot conceivably mount a proper defense against them— she should be forced to describe with specificity the location, date, and exact sexual acts she uses to base her claim.
This is all after a lengthy section attempting to assassinate her character, where Andrew essentially states that Virginia was a social climber who was an enthusiastic participant in Epstein’s trafficking scheme and benefitted from it because Maxwell and Epstein bought her designer clothes and took her on international trips.
It’s kind of funny that Andrew on one hand argues that other courts have found Virginia’s agreement with Epstein releasing third parties of all claims to be valid, then turns around and argues that the court is not bound by decisions made in other courts which have rejected the argument that the NY law which allowed her to revive her claim is not unconstitutional. I haven’t read Dershowitz’s Motion to Dismiss, but I’m guessing he made pretty similar, if not the same, arguments that Andrew uses in his and Andrew’s counsel is just copying Dershowitz’s template.
Also wanted to add with respect to that agreement with Epstein: Nowhere does Andrew actually cite an instance which found the specific agreement Virginia made with Epstein to be binding— if courts had found it so, Virginia would have had a much, much weaker claim (if any) against everyone she’s successfully sued. Virginia amended her complaint against Dershowitz voluntarily, presumably after extensive correspondence between counsel for parties (because that’s how stuff works— a LOT goes on behind the scenes). There’s a lot of different reasons why they might have made that decision, but as far as I am aware, the agreement’s validity has never actually been upheld in any court. Andrew just insinuates that Virginia has no case, likely in an attempt to force her to drop the battery claims before it was actually litigated, as she did with Dershowitz.
His legal basis for the argument seems to be that that Florida state courts have found agreements between two parties releasing any third parties of liability for future claims to be legal— even if those third parties are unspecified. And that NY case law also supports this third party principle (though it seems pretty thin on cites).
I dunno. Seems pretty predictable in terms of arguments. They’re relying a lot on this agreement, which is why Andrew tried to have it unsealed (and lost). Also found it amusing that they rely on a lot of Daily Mail articles to support their character assassination of Virginia. We all know what an upstanding, reliable institution of journalist integrity it is. /s
Thanks for the summary. Makes way more sense, his tactics are slimy and weaselly, but I bet he’s willing to throw anything at the courts and hope something sticks. At this point, with so much media attention, he can’t really just settle, it would be practically admitting he’s guilty after all these years protesting his innocence. So this will play out in the courts. And it will have everyone’s attention, and this all bites him in the butt. If he gets off, he’ll still be forever branded the slimeball that got away with rape, and if she wins, and I hope she does… well who knows with that goddamn family. I bet there are machinations within machinations happening right now, we can’t believe everything in print, and believe nothing from press releases. All I do get from this is Andrew is appalling, he’s dumb as a rock, spoiled rotten, and he’s wasting money he doesn’t have, getting chances and benefits of the doubt he doesn’t deserve.
Whoa… I just can’t with Prince Andrew. The total lack of remorse, sensitivity and just basic human decency. All he cares about is money and he assumes everyone is as vapid, cold hearted & materialistic as he is. Virginia wants a public acknowledgement from he that he r*ped her. He can’t own up to his criminal behaviour so he implies it’s her fault for seeking monetary compensation after he harmed her? He is a total coward.
I am so amazed by Virginia and her refusal to let wealthy scumbags push her around. I’m sure that her commitment to justice put her life at risk when Epstein was alive. I hope she’s surrounded by love and support.
Since all Andrew cares about is money I hope she bleeds him dry.
Apparently it’s not about the money. It’s about justice for victims of sexual abuse and human trafficking.
I’m curious how Chuck is going to manage Andrew. After all, Andrew has done serious harm to the fam by becoming bff’s with a well known sex trafficker. What’s going to happen when another sex trafficker with a money making scheme and a teenager in tow comes along? Andrew needs to be locked up.
Charles should not have allowed Harry to be scapegoated to distract from Andrew. This is his son and as a parent he should have protected, Harry, Meghan and their two children.
My deepest pray is that he is sentenced to jail time and becomes some man or men boy toy. Justice would definitely be served
That is just why women victims are reluctant to come forward. And they should come forward, Andrew’s unfortunate, disgraceful comments should spur them on to come forward.
So says the man whose mummy is in possession of some of the largest diamonds and the one of the largest jewelry collection in the world.
Virginia is definitely trying to get a big payment from Andrew. But she deserves something because if these men had not pulled her into their orbit her life would have been different. Experience like this corrupts your innocence and outlook of life. Andrew and the royals could settle this but they won’t. I hope VG is awarded a 7 figure award in court for this.
She deserves every penny and she should get a big settlement. HM may pay up and they could settle out of court.
Is he actually admitting that he should be considered “covered” by Virginia’s settlement with Epstein and associates? Because that’s a tricky needle to thread. If he’s asking Virginia to provide specifics, I hope someone will ask Andrew about how he can be both completely innocent AND protected by an agreement between Virginia and those who harmed her. Personally, if my best defense were “Ah, but you see I was one of Jeffrey Epstein’s associates!” I’d have to take a really hard look at the other choices.
It does, however, look like he’s finally going to admit that he met Virginia, sweat stains and fat fingers and all, so I guess that’s a positive.
@Jay- I was thinking along the same lines. Pedo can’t have it both ways. He said in his horrid interview that he didn’t know Virginia but now he says he’s covered by her prior settlement? How does he figure? And finally….I hate him and hope he gets what’s coming to him. Soon.
Right, he is talking out of both sides of his arse. Prince Pedo is digging himself into a grave of admission.
It’s like he’s taking a page from the Narc’s prayer and made it the Rapists prayer:
I didn’t have a friendship with Epstein, I only met him a couple of times
But if I did have a friendship with him, then I didn’t met Virginia Guiffre because I don’t sweat and it’s totally not me in that picture
But if I did meet her (and sweat), then I didn’t have sex with her
But if I did have sex with her, then she wasn’t trafficked – she was willing and consented and of age
But if she was trafficked, then I am covered under the agreement she made with Florida!
If Camilla wants to advocate for action against those who commit violence against women, she can start with her brother-in-law. Bring back the guillotine!!!! Off with Rapist Andy’s head!!!
I hope and pray that the truth comes out in court and Virginia gets her well deserved pay out and Andrew gets his well deserved jail time.
“Personally, I think it speaks volumes that Virginia has already gotten millions from her settlements and she’s still pursuing it.” – YES, EXACTLY!!! It shows precisely that it’s not about the money or how much money. It is about justice!!
Andrew also accuses her of targeting him because he’s from the most famous royal family. As if the photographic evidence of the two of them together does NOTHING to support her claim, right? And he also had to do a shout-out to how famous they are. The MOST famous. I’m really surprised his lawyers went with that ridiculous wording.
Ghislaine was standing next to them grinning. That about says it all. What was he doing there in the first place, she was trafficked and procured by Ghislaine and Epstein. NObody forced Andrew to be buddies with Epstein and he knew how Ghislaine procured young women.
IMO, Maxwell and Epstein were blackmailing him. That’s why mummy’s footing the bill.
Royal Douche bag! But you will pay one way or the other and with momma on her way out the BRF will be dismantled!!! wait and see…
He is pure evil.. I think she is pursuing him in particular so vigorously for a reason, it is going to come out. The Press tactic makes him look guilty and pathetic. I hope that the courts do something to protect her in the press. No victim should go through that.
He is absolute trash. No question. He should end badly, but he won’t.
Smear tactics.
It says volumes about just what a sleazy and generally awful human Andrew is that he seems to be so very pleased with this as his defense. He has no defense so he must resort to smearing his opponent with whatever he can get to stick. His shit eating grin makes me want to do violence to those overlarge fangs of his.
Oh f— him. Disgusted but completely unsurprised. I can’t even look at that top picture.
And I hope Virginia ends up with enough $$$ to BUY Sandringham when it inevitably goes up for sale.
40yo man having sex with 17yo girl is wrong in any scenario, and that should be a start of this problem… I hope he rots in hell, he had daughters in the same age as Virginia and yet he didn’t think that something is wrong.
I’m 35, if a 17yo was at a party with my friends I would be asking what is this kid doing here.