Attorney Lisa Bloom, who represented eight victims of Jeffrey Epstein, has saluted Virginia Giuffre’s “stunning courage” in her case against Prince Andrew.
Bloom share a statement on Tuesday (15 February) after it was announced that Giuffre and Andrew have agreed to settle the lawsuit filed by Giuffre in August 2021.
“We hail Virginia’s victory today,” Bloom said. “She has accomplished what no one else could: getting Prince Andrew to stop his nonsense and side with sexual abuse victims. We salute Virginia’s stunning courage.”
Bloom, who hasn’t represented Giuffre, noted she was sharing the statement “on behalf of the eight Jeffrey Epstein victims I represent”. Giuffre was represented in her lawsuit against Andrew by attorney David Boies.
Giuffre alleged that she was sexually trafficked to the British royal by the financier Jeffrey Epstein when she was 17. Andrew has denied the allegations and previously attempted to get the lawsuit dismissed. A judge denied that request in January, clearing the way for depositions and the gathering of evidence.
Read the latest on the Prince Andrew - Virginia Giuffre settlement
Boies informed the judge presiding over the case in New York that a settlement in principle has been reached and lawyers on both sides will now request a dismissal of the lawsuit within a month.
Attached to the letter by Boies was a statement that read: “Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out of court settlement. The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms. Giuffre's receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed).
“Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffre's charity in support of victims’ rights. 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.”
According to the statement, Prince Andrew acknowledged that Epstein trafficked “countless young girls” over many years and said the prince “regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others.”
Additional reporting by The Associated Press
