I’m sounding like a broken record on this, but Prince Andrew should have settled with Virginia Giuffre months ago. Virginia’s lawyer David Boies even said as much last year, that Virginia only filed the civil suit against Andrew because he wouldn’t come to the negotiation table and settle with her and/or give her an apology. Andrew’s lawyers blew off Virginia for years as she sought justice and answers. And now here we are, with Judge Kaplan likely to rule that Virginia’s lawsuit should not be dismissed, that it should go to trial this year. Andrew thought he could ignore the issue and it would go away. Now he’s in a weaker position legally, and if he wants to settle, he’ll probably have to pay out even more than if he offered Virginia a settlement a year ago. So… big surprise, as it appears as if the case is going to trial, suddenly the galaxy brains in Windsor are very interested in settling this situation out of court. From Becky English at the Daily Mail:
Prince Andrew could settle out of court with his US sex-case accuser if a judge rules that the case should go to trial. Insiders say the option ‘remains on the table’ if, as expected, Judge Lewis Kaplan rejects his legal team’s motion this week to have Virginia Roberts’ lawsuit dismissed at an early stage.
Andrew’s team are understood to acknowledge the ‘attritional impact’ the case is having on the Royal Family, particularly as the Queen, 95, is due to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee this June with the threat of a scandalous sex trial involving her son hanging over her.
‘Obviously, this is a US case involving US lawyers and involving a US civil lawsuit,’ one source said. ‘In reality, 99 per cent of US civil litigations are settled out of court. A settlement would always be an option on the table, as that’s where the vast majority end up. There is also the wider pressure and attritional impact to consider.’
Sources with knowledge of the case stressed last night to the Daily Mail that no discussions have taken place yet about whether the Queen’s son could – or should – agree a settlement without liability being admitted. But neither had it been ruled out as an option, they said. Buckingham Palace has refused to comment, describing it as an ‘ongoing legal matter.’
On the one hand agreeing a no-liability settlement would prevent Andrew going through the humiliating experience of being interviewed by Miss Roberts’ lawyers, who will be able to question him about everything from his sexual partners to the minutiae of his dealings with Epstein and with Maxwell, found guilty last month of sex trafficking. They may seek answers from other family members, including his ex-wife Sarah and potentially other senior royals.
But a settlement would clearly do little to help the 61-year-old prince clear his name, as he says he desperately wants to do. A settlement would also not prevent the FBI from pursuing its investigation – its agents would like to speak to Andrew as a potential witness to Epstein’s crimes.
Truly, is there any better example of the monarchy’s short-sightedness and stupidity than the Andrew Situation? Did no one at the palace brain trust understand that Andrew should have settled out of court – before Virginia filed her lawsuit – last year or even years before that? There would have been tremendous backlash if they had settled a year ago, but they would have been in a much better position to ask for a gag order. Now Virginia holds all of the cards, if the judge rules the way we’re expecting. So now it’s a choice between having all of Andrew’s sordid history dragged out in open court OR Andrew admitting defeat on Virginia’s terms entirely.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
Andrew smugly thought he could bluster his way out of is cause he’s a Prince and the TQs favourite child but he’s learned the hard way that means fk all in the US.
He’s dug a hole for himself and is only getting deeper and deeper.
No one has ever held that spoilt brat accountable. The Queen and Philip were bad parents. Do you really love your kids if you don’t care if they’re decent people?
Yes, he thought he was completely untouchable. His arrogance and stupidity have made everything worse – from the amount he will end up paying to make this go away to the publicity that will see him removed from all his military titles as well as public duties and purse.
This is like the Streisand Effect turbocharged. Maybe we need to institute the Prince Andrew Effect for those who not only draw attention to the one thing they were trying to conceal (Barbara level) but destroy their own reputation, remove themselves from a job and put themselves in legal peril all at the same time. #goodjob#skills
Co-sign this idea. #princeandreweffect when someone draws so much attention to their fckery that they blow their own lives up completely.
Seriously, that hole so big.
Virginia- don’t settle sister…..And get the number for Meghan’s Daily Mail suit lawyers too!
It’s likely Andrew was advised to settle long ago but as his BBC interview showed, he thinks he’s the smartest person in the room despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. It’s my experience that stupid people are harder to argue with/convince because they don’t have the smarts to understand another person’s argument and see that it might be better than their own. I wouldn’t pin this on the senior royals – they probably told him to settle to get it out of the way before the Platinum Jubilee festivities begin.
“It’s my experience that stupid people are harder to argue with/convince because they don’t have the smarts to understand another person’s argument and see that it might be better than their own.”
*nod nod* The Dunning-Kruger effect. Andrew’s a good example of that.
@ Margaret Sadovsky : I had to look it up : Dunning-Kruger effect, in psychology, a cognitive bias whereby people with limited knowledge or competence in a given intellectual or social domain greatly overestimate their own knowledge or competence in that domain relative to objective criteria or to the performance of their peers or of people in general.
(from http://www.britannica.com)
Yeah, that sounds like Andrew.
Sounds like Kate.
The Queen will be using the taxpayers money to make this go away.
That is maddening!
Of course Andrew will settle, no matter what it costs. He needs to get a non-disclosure from Giuffre, both to try to salvage the royal family’s reputation, and also to prevent her from testifying in support of criminal charges. The lawyers on both sides know that, so this will be *very* expensive. But he WILL settle, at all costs.
I read today that he is selling property to pay these costs himself. They seem to be pushing that headline now. . .
@ Jan. : The Queen is one of the richest women in the world. Her own wealth is more than sufficient to pay Andrew’s lawyers. I doubt she will need to use public money. Imagine his lawyers – getting paid just to have the client ignore all your advice. LOL.
I think everyone but Andrew wanted to settle but he hoped if the case was thrown out it would be his path back to a public role. Settling at this stage will damage his reputation even more than if he had settled a year ago.
@ Lizzie, I agree that’s it’s PedoAndy that is the one stalling negotiations as he thinks too highly of himself to be held accountable by law. Luckily it brings more embarrassment to not only the Pedo, but onto the RF as well. Considering how poorly his attorneys have been handling this case with regards to the bone head filings, VG is the one holding ALL of the cards!!
LOL, LOL, LOL!! They are really stupid. As well as sexist and racist. They are a mess.
I know Virginia has been through a lot, but I hope she doesn’t settle, whoops his ass in court, and still gets millions from the queen. That fool tried to get laws supporting children who endured sex abuse thrown out!
Yes. I think it is too big to settle now. Why settle when you could bring down the monarchy?
I was thinking the other day that if the UK monarchy is abolished by the time William is ready to be king, it will have been 2 American women who brought it to its knees.
@LaraW
I kinda wanna see Virginia throw a bunch of tea bags at their lawyers while she does it, TBH.
For tradition’s sake.
@HeyJude: throwing tea bags — brilliant!
I’d be fine with her settling if Andrew had to accept liability and there was no NDA involved. Then it’s the exact same thing as going to court and winning, while not wasting any more of the court’s time. Andrew is so stupid and proves it repeatedly, every day he is still part of existence. His hubris and pride will be his—and the monarchy’s—downfall. And that’s a-okay with me.
@LaraW”
Those damned pesky American women with their f*ck around and find out attitudes
Absolutely! And I LOVE it!!!
Virginia Guiffre and the Duchess of Sussex are brave, strong, and do NOT f**k around. I don’t think that I could fight with the grace that these women have displayed.
Here’s hoping she gets everything.lol
Give Virginia the lease to Royal Lodge!
I am hopeful that she will not settle, no matter how much money Andy’s mommy tries to throw at the problem now. I want all the details as well as to see him squirm. But if she does settle -Will the Throne fit into the Royal Lodge?
I mean I don’t know which is better- a trial or gobs of money given to Virginia. She has been a trooper and given her life for this cause.
Frankly I’m shocked more victims don’t come forward given the maxwell verdict. I suspect that they were already vulnerable when targeted and the abuse just made their lives that much harder. I hope more of them get restitution and access to support to heal.
I’m feeling like 25mil is a nice number bc eff that 500k settlement from Epstein
I’d love something close to £50 million. A nice round number for the UK taxpayer to see how much the monarchy has cost the citizenry.
Have the British taxpayers also had to pay for his legal fees?
if she does settle, I hope she demands an admission of. guilt
@Pottymouth: I know what you mean but it’s usually a standard provision in settlement agreements (in the U.S. at least) that there’s no admission of guilt. However, reasonable people are supposed/expected to read between the lines when someone says, “I’m not admitting any guilt or liability but here’s a lot of money anyway…” Come on. At the very least, the settlement implies that there’s enough evidence out there to find them at fault.
If Andrew does eventually settle, I think it really says something about the British royal family that they would spend A LOT of money on Andrew’s legal fees first, and then settle by giving Virginia a lot of money. Wow, is that stupid. Oh well, at least they didn’t have to work for that money.
At this point I get the impression that Virginia want everything out in the open and is more interested in dragging and humiliating him in public. Also she may want a chance to say her piece in court a testimony in court under oath is more powerful than any interview. All this to say I fear it may be too late to settle for Andrew.
The fact that there hasn’t been a settlement means one of two things. Virginia doesn’t want to settle and wants to take this all the way to trial (believable) or Andrew doesn’t want to because it implies/confirms guilt and he doesn’t want that (also believable)
Do not settle! And if she does, get a PUBLIC apology. And millions….
I think Andrew thought at first that she didn’t have the guts to take him to court over this, and then I think he thought that it didn’t matter because he’s HRH Prince Andrew the Duke of York and what judge would dare to let this go to trial because of that?!?!?
He’s getting a wake up call here, for sure.
I also think he was hoping a trial would vindicate him and then he would be welcomed back to royal life with open arms. Well, that’s never happening under charles, he’s probably ecstatic to have an excuse to bench Andrew for his reign.
Lol, I feel like the benefits of having an excuse now to bench Andrew significantly outweighs the cost to the RF. 😝
My thoughts exactly, he is a man used to being above everyone else.
I can imagine him throwing tantrums with his mum and her, well, being on his side in spite of everything. I believe that the Queen knows the whole truth and is surprised his son can’t get away with it.
Well, they’re making such a big deal about the Jubilee and the Queen’s “difficult year” and the effect on the monarchy, I wouldn’t be surprised if Andrew picks a different victim card to play. Basically, “Oh, ok, I’ll take the bullet, I’ll fall on my sword, anything to spare the monarchy and mummy’s feelings.”
Exactly they are going to spin this as PA settling purely to spare his Mommy from embarrassment! Also it has been made clear that Queenie is paying ALL his legal bills (hopefully from inheritance due to be left him so after settlement, he and Fergie are left with 20p)
Remember, this is the same Palace who advised Meghan not to sue the MoS. Anyway, that Andrew is possibly considering settling is not surprising at all. It’s what he should have done from the start.
That’s a great point about how the palace advised Meghan not to sue the tabloids. Why don’t we get stories about them encouraging Andrew to settle “for the sake of the queen who’s on her last leg.” (Or is it in the year of her jubilee?) Anyway, I hope the queen lives long enough to see the end of this case because I want to see her take another ride with Andrew to show her tacit support of her pedophile son, maybe a nice ride on a horsey, that’ll be nice.
I don’t live in England, thankfully, I wonder if there are journalists calling for Andrew to be “stripped” of his military medals and honors? I read an article this week about Andrew being protected by the royal family during this shameful period, as opposed to how Harry was treated, but it wasn’t written by a Brit.
@ Debbie : I wonder if the royal family isn’t so much protecting Andrew as it is protecting itself. PA locked away securely at Royal Lodge brooding in relative obscurity and de facto exile is a better scenario than him having a public trial and/or going to jail.
I think at this point, Virginia can’t lose even if she doesn’t win the case or much in the way of damages. Andrew has been utterly compromised and disgraced before the entire world. Virtually everyone thinks he’s guilty as sin, and even those who think this should go away only do so because it’s ‘distressing for the queen’ and ‘spoiling the jubilee’, not because they think he’s innocent. There will never be another article written about him or anything he does that doesn’t mention this, it’ll be in his obituary.
The most delicious part of this tragedy for Virginia Guiffre Roberts is that she literally has nothing to lose, because she’s been so fiercely up front about what happened to her – there is no dirt for anyone to fling in her direction that won’t just bounce off.
Andrew, on the other hand and, by extension, his family and the institution it represents, have a lot on the line.
#TeamVirginia
All the details that could come out in the trial…he should be petrified. And how can he explain the sweating thing? Will he get a doctor to lie? And pizza express? Would they not try and get Beatrice to testify? I’m not a lawyer so I have no idea but why wouldn’t they?
Tear the bitch apart, Virginia!
So much respect to Virginia Giuffre Roberts. She went through hell as a child and young adult, and she’s fought like hell for justice for herself and countless, unknown others. Whatever happens, she should be so proud of herself for persevering to this point.
Yeah. He’ll settle. Because no one in the BRF wants this to go through discovery and a trial where the world will have access to all of his dirt. They’ll pay up. But there’s still the possibility of a criminal case in the SDNY, sooo 🤷🏾♀️
It was reported that Epstein had hidden cameras all over his many houses. Andrew spent a lot of time in Epstein’s NYC house. I’m almost positive Andrew is on tape raping girls. Someone has all those video tapes, unless they were destroyed, and I don’t think they were. I don’t think Virginia was Andrews only victim. It’s sad that he will only have to pay out a large sum of Mummy’s money as punishment, because he is rich & powerful.
Of course he will be settling. Because if this drags on into the year it they will spoil the Queen’s Jubilee, and we can’t upset Petty Betty, can we.
Lol if you read Emily Maitlis’ account of the news night interview Andrew had actually run through with her some of what he was going to say. The BBC didn’t want to catch him out- the palace had set it up to help clear his name.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59874170
So given that relatively soft touch interview was still a train wreck no way are they going to allow Andrew to face cross examination by lawyers. The palace will hope to settle & will claim it’s just to avoid embarrassing the queen etc.
The royal rota have put the jubilee on par with the birth of Christ.
Lol – they really have!
I honestly think Andrew and the palace vipers had initially instructed his US legal team NOT to settle. That has… not gone well for them. And I do think this article now is them taking the other side’s temperature, so to speak, to see how amenable they are to a settlement now.
This is the BP courtiers reading the room & trying to signal Andrew’s legal team. Remember the stories a while back that BP was panicked that they didn’t have any insight or input into Andrew’s legal strategy? They’re screaming at him to settle, especially post Maxwell verdict.
It won’t matter. Virginia wants truth & an apology, which she won’t get from Andrew without a trial. Andrew is incapable of admitting wrongdoing, so he won’t settle, which also means it will go to trial. The courtiers can fuss all they like, but at the end of the day, mummy’s darling will absolutely overshadow the Jubilee after someone stood up to him for the first time in his life. Cheers, Virginia!
Id like to see the trial start the day before or the day of the Royal Jubilee. Please, God, make this happen.
Welcome to the 21st century, Andrew – where being a prince means nothing, no matter how many honorary medals your mother pins to your chest.
Don’t forget the military titles he INHERITED from his father, LOL!
The thing is he could have ridden the wave of princedom through a entire lifetime of of luxury and fun and whatever the heck he gets up to with Fergie … if he didn’t stop along the way to sexually assault and rape teenagers.
But he just had to cross the line and take what he wanted at the expense of others, and then be an idiot who wouldn’t settle with one of his victims when he could have.
In my personal opinion I think one of the reasons he is so reluctant to settle and make a significant pay out (using Mommy’s money) is because he knows other victims (and I bet there’s a whole lot more who haven’t said a word) would feel free to finally come forward and demand (as they should) a settlement as well. That could potentially go into the atmospheric millions.
But like my Mama says his choices are “slim and none and slim just took the slow boat out”
My thought as well; there has to be more victims, so where are they? And why aren’t they supporting her en masse?
Not everyone is as brave as Virginia. In the US, sex abuse cases put not only the defendant (whether civil or criminal) on trial but also the victim. Was she as “pure” as the freshly fallen snow? They’ve dug up all they can about Virginia and dragged her through the mud as a money grubbing lying whore. I don’t know that I would be mentally strong enough, that my family (like significant other and/or kids) would be mentally strong enough (or even want, like a significant other) to go through something like this.
I’m sure this is the case — I would love it if more women, who have heretofore been too afraid to come forward, could muster the courage to come forward with their own sad stories, and if it does go to trial they all get to read their victim impact statements.
I suspect many of the victims aren’t in a position to come forward. Virginia Giuffre married a supportive husband and moved overseas, I doubt many victims of trafficking have such an outcome that gives them a stable base that would allow them emotionally or financially to do what Virginia has done, or have an ocean between them and some very powerful mean that they are a threat to.
Some may also have been or are being paid to stay silent.
Good points. And if Virginia knows who they are, she could compromise their safety by making names. Got it.
Naming
Oh no, humiliate him. They’re scared now lol, they’re such clowns.
I hope to god that Virginia chooses to go to court, no matter the settlement offered.
The monarchy needs to be destroyed, and she has the power to do just that.
I mean, we’ve all been mystified as to why Andrew’s superstar legal team didn’t make this go away long ago.
You can go back to the CB archives about this story and see what amounts to a free legal clinic from those of you that are lawyers in the comments: settle! Why is he taking this to court?
This is the arrogance of someone who has always gotten away with his crimes. He displays an almost complete ignorance of how he is perceived by others that borders on delusional. So I guess it’s no surprise Andrew thinks he can just tell the judge, man to man “Nope, I was at pizza express and I can’t sweat” and they will not only take his word for it, but probably fall all over themselves apologizing and complimenting him on his eloquence. But the queen/ palace, whoever is footing the bill, should have been looking for ways to settle discretely, as I’m sure they’ve done before.
Virginia has been brilliantly brave and steadfast for decades – and the abuse and contempt and condemnation following the first settlement with Epstein must have been nearly as soul-destroying as the sexual assaults, rapes and virtual sex slavery. So it’s great news and well-deserved that this next round with arch-pig Andrew may well go her way and to his permanent detriment.
But this is an usual bump of fault-finding in favour of the survivors. Courts (in every nation I’m aware of) are still slow to believe victims, rarely find in their favour, and require a preponderance of evidence of evidence of a crime that is usually committed far from witnesses, cameras, recording devices or any other source of proof collection. As mentioned above, victims are only witnesses to their own crimes and the go-to for the defence is the destruction of the witness’s character, past, fashion choices, reputation etc, while the accused need never be similarly questioned or exposed. Not to mention the cliches that are ever-popular: the victim was a bitter dumpee looking for revenge, or the classic “just looking for money and fame”.
All this to say, the time for educating the police, courts, public and juries on the particular and unique crime of sexual assault, rape and exploitation is NOW.
I want virginia to receive so much money and her lawyers are paid in full by the queen’s favourite child with statement like meghan received that she had won the case.
But, if she has to sign an NDA, it can be void when another girl want to sue him and want virginia as a witness. So that she can have her time to tell the truth at court.
Win win.
I’M wondering if he didn’t want to settle because he would be required to issue a public apology as part of the settlement. I hope she nails him in court and that an apology is part of it.
100% his lawyers would have advised him to settle. You don’t need a law degree to know that’s his best course of action. What we all underestimate is the BRF’s entitlement. They honestly think it’s okay for a Prince to rape someone a low class background. They think it is their right. “Just a bit of fun” and that she was disposable because she is not of nobility. They are effed. Guarantee he and the Queen think he did.nothing wrong. Hence the interview. They are also entitled towards their legal team. Not listening to advice. He’s a pos
The rf deserves all the attention this is getting them.
‘They deserve this embarrassment, thinking they’re above the law.
‘Don’t settle girl’