Prince Andrew lost his bid to dismiss Virginia Giuffre’s lawsuit. Yesterday, Judge Kaplan thoroughly rejected Andrew’s many arguments for why the case should be dismissed. Judge Kaplan also set a loose schedule for depositions, and it’s assumed that both Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson would have to sit for depositions by Virginia Giuffre’s lawyers. The word on everyone’s lips this week is “settlement.” That seems to be the least worst option facing Andrew right now, and British reporters are already working themselves into a lather about how much money Andrew has and could conceivably give to Virginia to make this go away. Except that according to Giuffre’s lawyer, Virginia has no desire to settle:
The Duke of York’s accuser Virginia Giuffre would be unlikely to accept a “purely financial settlement” to end her sexual assault civil lawsuit against the royal, her lawyer has said. David Boies was speaking after a US judge rejected Prince Andrew’s motion to have the civil case against him dismissed, paving the way for a possible civil trial in the autumn.
Boies said: “I think it’s very important to Virginia Giuffre that this matter be resolved in a way that vindicates her and vindicates the other victims. I don’t think that she has a firm view at this point, nor could she, as to exactly what the resolution should be. But I think what’s going to be important is that this resolution vindicates her and vindicates the claim she’s made,” he told BBC’s Newsnight.
Boies said there had been no suggestion of settlement discussions at this point. He said that prior to bringing the case they had “reached out” to Andrew and the prince’s lawyers and suggested mediation, but “there was no interest in that at that time”.
“Whether that has changed or not, I think we’ll have to wait and see.”
He added: “A purely financial settlement is not anything that I think she’s [Giuffre] interested in.”
When asked about the US ruling, a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said: “We would not comment on what is an ongoing legal matter.”
Yes, Boies has said this for months – that he reached out repeatedly to Prince Andrew and Andrew’s lawyers for months before Giuffre sued Andrew. There was a good-faith effort made by Virginia to deal with this issue out of court, with an apology and a financial settlement. Andrew and his lawyers ignored Virginia and ignored David Boies. They f–ked around and found out, didn’t they? And so of course Virginia isn’t interested in a quick settlement without an apology or admission attached. Virginia is in a position of strength. She gets to dictate terms now. LMAO.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
GO VIRGINIA.
Is there a Nobel prize category for challenging the institutions of privilege and misogyny?
I applaud her bravery, persistence and tenacity. Paedrew is toast. He is finished. He is giving his mother’s reign the memorable and befitting end it deserves.
My god there SHOULD be. I’m in awe of what Virginia is doing, her strength to see all this through. And it’s paying off, the longer this goes on the worse Andrew looks. Good!
You are so right!!! Wonderful idea to bring to the committee 🤩 Also does she have a go fund me account?
Virginia is a real hero! I hope she won’t settle for anything less than total humiliation of Mummy’s dearest.
Sweating now, Andrew?
“I can finally sweat again. It’s a miracle!”
One does not sweat. One glows LOL!
Horses sweat. Men perspire. Ladies glow.
I was raised on this mantra…
I have, however, decided that I’m a lady only when I choose to be a lady.
This is going to be ugly for them–Andrew and Fergie–not just because the settlement will likely include some sort of of apology and concession of responsibility, AND–they’re going to have to disclose their tricky finances. I am sure the Queen is not pleased about that.
By now, virginia doesnt need andrew money. She can triple her income by writing her story.
It’s time for Epstein’s BFF to take his medicine, then broadcast his shame for the entire world to witness.
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6251258-Virginia-Roberts-Memoir
Definitely worth a reread.
I can’t see Andrew every testifying in court, because the firm won’t risk the monarchy. I understand Virginia wants her day in court but that’s part of this being resolved as either a Huge Settlement with an NDA or an Almost as huge settlement with a public apology.
I think if Virginia does not agree to a settlement with an NDA or completely worthless apology that allows Andrew to lie about being absolved, I think he will not show up for court and will just dodge any default judgment, making some bullshit argument about unfair, illegitimate courts or immunity. He’s never going to be on the stand.
I don’t think she’ll agree to a settlement.
Can the trial go on with Andrew in absentia? Or would Virginia and Boies just have to ask for a default judgment because the respondent was no longer responding to the court?
In any case, Virginia now has Carolyn Adriano speaking publicly about the fact that Virginia texted her on the night/morning after Andrew statutory raped her, backing Virginia’s claim 100%. And encouraging other witnesses or victims of Andrew’s to come forward. By saying nothing, Andrew will be saying everything. #AbolishtheMonarchy
The royal family won’t settle without an NDA. They WILL pay *whatever it takes* to settle, but will insist on an NDA. I’d bet my house on it.
Of course she isn’t doing this for the money – she wants accountability. He is an idiot and so are his adivisors, lawyers and relatives. I wonder how many droughts Tominey will say the Sussexes have caused?
His advisors and the courtiers are all worth a sack of dirt. He could have settled this quietly ages ago.
All the recycles Meghan stories in the world can’t help him hide from this.
If anything , all the Meghan deflections have built a global audience interested in seeing Andrew held to major account: in the US, in Scotland, in the Commonwealth.
Good for her.
The idea that she should simply settle, and Andrew’s ’embarrassment’ simply dwindle and disappear as time goes by, so that he is rehabilitated back into the gilded society he arrogantly believes he adorns by right, is execrable.
Rapists must pay. Paedophiles must pay. People traffickers must pay. People like Andrew, who is party to all three horrific crimes, must pay.
We’re past the days where money talks and perpetrators walk. We’re never going to get rid of entrenched misogyny in society unless such people are held to account.
I fiercely admire Virginia. I think she is a remarkable woman who has taken horrific circumstances and placed an unerring lens on her attackers, standing tall despite the vile claims made about her and her motives made by those who have internalised the patriarchy hook, line and sinker.
We – if I may speak for us all – are all behind you, Virginia. You are on the side of the angels. Go get the S.O.B.
I applaud your comment and agree with every word.
Seconded!
I certainly CANNOT imagine the horrors Virginia went through as an Epstein/Maxwell/York victim, but it clearly forged her into a formidable woman with the strength of an avenging angel. This miserable process pales in comparison.
All of this.
There was a somewhat similar case brought up by an American woman against a congressman during the Gilded Age. He raped her when she was a teenager, proceeded to have two children with her (which he forced her to give away) and promised to marry her, only to then wed a socially prominent woman. So she sued him and refused to settle too. I read about it in a book “Bringing Down the Colonel” by Patricia Miller. It was incredible and what that woman went through at the time when women would not even show their face on court. I highly recommend it!!
She’d be 100% justified to take a settlement of course, but personally I hope the case goes all the way and we’ll get to see Andrew literally sweating on the stand.
She did the settlement route before and it didn’t her any justice so it’s not surprising that she not willing to settle in this case. Predictably, the British press is centering the Queen in this case instead of the victim. At this point the Queen is as guilty as Andrew by agreeing to fund his defense.
They are backtracking on the fact that she is funding his defense. They are saying that he is trying to sell his ski chalet (the same one the queen paid his debts on) to fund his own defense. Such hogwash.
Just a little familial money laundering to add to their karma. Vile and craven.
Once again, the royal instincts are soooooo bad. An apology/payment out of court would’ve been easiest. These jokers always gotta learn the hard way.
Imagine if Andy had just said at the start, “I’m appalled by the sex trafficking endured by Ms. Giuffre. I admit I slept with her without knowledge of her age of her situation as victim. This should not have happened and I regret the error in judgement. Ergo, I am giving a sum to Ms. Giuffre as the only other way, aside from apologizing, that I can attempt to make amends for my behavior.”
But no…instead we got pizza from the Woking Pizza Express and blown out sweat glands.
Spot on.
What we don’t know is how many others would come forward once a payment and apology was made. I can’t see that Andrew would have only had sex with Virginia (I feel physically ill typing that).
Yeah, he wasn’t staying at Epstein’s house with all those young girls because it was “convenient.”
What it shows is that Epstein/Maxwell’s instincts were good. They knew enough to not put Andy at any legal risk of jail. They also guessed that he would show loyalty to them out of “friendship.” What separates this out from previous “sex scandals” is that the women involved were not willing participants. That is something that the RF didn’t seem to realize until too late. That this was very, very different, even though back when it actually happened, it didn’t seem so to Andrew.
It’s getting really hot in the palace for Andy, sweat dripping all over his body. Lol. He should see if party pieces sells handkerchiefs.
I wonder if Andrew’s team has even mentioned the s-word to him, or if he is still convinced that he will be victorious in the end, even if it costs millions of his mother’s money.
At any rate, no, Virginia isn’t going to settle just for money.
You’d think his team would include PR experts that would advise him of what would be best for his reputation.
That interview with the sweaty Pizza stories showed that was not true.
These are the people who thought the interview went well. It wasn’t just Andrew. The courtiers were beaming as well. They still think they live in the 19th century and they can “scatter largess to the populace” and be admired and desired by all. (Largess being figurative—their gracious presences are payment enough to those they reign over, happily and gloriously)
I wonder what his daughters think. He is such a fool to associate himself with Epstein in the first place and behave the way he did, he deserves whatever is coming to him.
They must practice cognitive dissonance constantly.
the absolute irony in that story is when you put his pedo criminal deeds, great stupidity, boorish behavior aside, Andrew May be the more loving and attentive royal parent of the brf among his sis and brothers.
Béatrice and Eugénie can see the waleses messes between Charles, William and Harry,
The princess royal ‘s professionnal grifters children struggling, and Sophie’ s daughter hideously clothed so she can’t steal her vain and jealous mama (really dim) shine.
Andrew and Fergie are atrocious humans but they do love theirs daughters, and have fought for them ferociously.
they are the ones with credible , real close family unit, even with the divorce, they have the strong bond everyone was hoping to see in Charles family before and after Diana ‘s death.
contrary to William, York sisters are conscious and grateful for what they were given as a place in life in this hard world.
i can understand being unable to speak publicly in their situation.
They are in the same situation as their loyalty is concerned as their cousin Harry is to the Queen and the former duke of edimburg.
Nevertheless Eugénie ‘s anti traffiking stand is absolute idiocy and she needs to read the room.
Months and years to come will be awful for them, Andrew is guilty AF, they should prepare for hell
Y’all I took one for the team and read the Daily Fail’s articles (oh yes, just about everyone is weighing in now) and whoooooosh!!! the shade, the snark!!! Sure there are varying excuses made and what about HM and all, but I tell you, there wasn’t too much love for Andrew there.
I can’t believe anyone has sympathy for the queen. She is finding his sham of a defense. She’s giving him money so his lawyers can get laws that protect abused children thrown out of court. She doesn’t deserve anything. Andrew has all of his patronages, honorary titles, HRHs, and publicly funded security that she refused to allow to be taken away. Andrew has been a problem for decades but he was further indulged by her. Too little, too late. She should be wearing the shame just as much as he is.
I was reading the comments in the fail. Summed up as,
-Good, finally justice.
-Feel bad for the queen.
-She was 17, no laws broken.
-Andrew can’t get a fair trial in the US.
There seemed to be little understanding that Virginia was trafficked but that is probably due to the fails reporting. No idea why so many don’t think he can get a fair trial, maybe they don’t realizes how little interest/awareness there has been in Andrew in the US.
Where are the calls for the titles to be stripped, security to be stopped, for him to move out of the Crown Property???
*crickets and tumbleweed abound*
Hmm, do you mean the woman who Andrew team called ‘a money grabbing sex kitten’ won’t take a payoff? He has gone from accusing her of being after money to praying she will take it.
Exactly.
After the way Andrew and his team attacked her in the courts and press these last few months accusing her of a being pimp and using negative quotes from her ex boyfriend calling her a “money hungry kitten” etc they can’t be stupid enough to be surprised by this. Like I know they are very stupid but come on. If you are going to scrape the bottom of the barrel and even bring out the “she made a deal with my sex offender friend so she can’t sue me” and “NY allowing children who were sexually abused to have more time to file cases is unconstitutional” defenses you should make sure you have something that works because you’ve debased yourself so badly that there’s no way money is enough of a recourse anymore and the public will be rooting for your clobbering.
He deserves to be in prison, though we all know that wont happen, so at the least Virginia deserves a public apology and admission of guilt in addition to financial remedies after the horrific way he has tried to publicly destroy after already putting her through a private Hell.
What makes me mad sure these sympathies for the queen. Virginia and other young women went through a lot of pain and suffering at the hands of these privileged press and all people care about is the jubilee street party being wrecked. The queen is bankrolling her scummy son’s legal defense and possibly be on the hook to pay a settlement. She’s not pushing Andy to talk to the FBI nor has she yanked his military titles. She, Chuck and Bill had a hand in sheilding Andy from American justice, so if the House of Windsor is in ill repute it’s on them as well.
Drag him through the mud!!
Go Virginia! Nail his ass!
I see such pain and vulnerability in her face. So sad for her. I am proud of her perseverance, resilience and bravery in her quest for justice. No one should have to go through what she did. Andrew needs to be brought down.
Virginia’s camp is correct. I feel like now that the case hasn’t been dismissed, the royal rota have pivoted to this weird idea that Virginia won’t be able to force Andrew to take the stand. Which…she doesn’t have to? And the talk of extradition is absurd. This is a civil case. All that needs to happen is that if the case goes in Virginia’s favor, she takes the judgment to English courts who will then be tasked with getting Andrew to pay what he owes.
In a default judgment, that would happen sooner rather than later, so I see him fighting this to the bitter end unless for once in Andrew’s life, someone in the family can make him see sense.
yep. LMAO.
Virginia is one strong woman and I admire her soooo much for doing this. She clearly has a wonderful, supportive husband who, when interviewed, said he fell in love with her at first sight and didn’t care a whit about her trafficked past. They have 3 wonderful kids and a good life in Australia so she could have just retired into being a SAHW but no, she went into battle like a true warrior for all the other women who didn’t have a voice. The book she will likely write when this is all over and the monarchy is scorched earth will be a rallying cry for all those voiceless young girls who have been preyed upon by Epstein, Maxwell and their ilk.
And let’s hope Maxwell gets banged up for rest of her miserable life.
Virginia needs to be Time’s Person of the Decade.
I love this so much. Go Virginia! Get your justice! I love her being the drivers seat now.