Virginia Giuffre Deposition: Key Testimony

VIRGINIA GIUFFRE DEPOSITION: KEY TESTIMONY ANALYSIS Virginia Giuffre (born Virginia Roberts) was deposed on May 3, 2016, in connection with her defamation lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell, Case No. 15-cv-7433 (S.D.N.Y.). The deposition was taken under oath and under the rules of civil discovery. Excerpts of the deposition were unsealed in January 2024 as part of Judge Preska's unsealing orders. This page provides a thematic overview of the key topics covered in Giuffre's testimony. CONTEXT OF THE DEPOSITION The deposition was conducted by counsel for Ghislaine Maxwell as part of discovery in the defamation case. Giuffre was questioned for several hours under oath, with her attorneys present. The transcript was originally sealed pursuant to the protective order governing the case. Portions were cited in summary judgment filings and unsealed in 2019; the fuller excerpts released in January 2024 provided significantly more detail. TOPIC 1: RECRUITMENT Giuffre testified that she was recruited in the summer of 2000 when she was 16 years old. According to her sworn testimony, she was working at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, when she was approached by Ghislaine Maxwell. Giuffre testified that Maxwell offered her a position working for Jeffrey Epstein, presenting the opportunity as a legitimate job involving travel and work related to Epstein's philanthropic activities. Giuffre's testimony described the initial meetings and how she began spending time at Epstein's Palm Beach residence. TOPIC 2: TRAVEL TO EPSTEIN PROPERTIES Giuffre testified about travel to multiple Epstein properties, providing specific details about locations and time periods. Her testimony referenced the Palm Beach estate on El Brillo Way, which she described as the location where she first spent time with Epstein and Maxwell. She testified about visits to the Manhattan townhouse at 9 East 71st Street, describing the property and activities that allegedly occurred there. Giuffre's testimony described trips to the Zorro Ranch in Stanley, New Mexico, and to Epstein's private island, Little St. James, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. She also testified about international travel, including trips to London, Paris, and other destinations. TOPIC 3: ALLEGATIONS REGARDING NAMED INDIVIDUALS During her deposition, Giuffre was questioned about and named specific individuals she stated she met through Epstein and Maxwell. Her testimony under oath described encounters with various public figures and private individuals. It is important to note that allegations made in a sworn deposition represent the testimony of one witness. Individuals named in deposition testimony have in many cases denied the allegations or have not been charged with any wrongdoing. The unsealing of these allegations does not constitute a finding of fact by any court. Giuffre's testimony named individuals in several contexts: people she stated she was introduced to socially at Epstein properties, individuals she alleged she was directed to provide sexual services to, individuals she described as being present at Epstein properties on various occasions, and people she identified in photographs shown to her during the deposition. TOPIC 4: MAXWELL'S ALLEGED ROLE A substantial portion of Giuffre's deposition addressed her characterization of Maxwell's role. Giuffre testified that Maxwell was involved in recruiting young women, that Maxwell provided instructions regarding what was expected of them, that Maxwell participated in scheduling travel and coordinating logistics, and that Maxwell was present during certain alleged encounters. Maxwell denied all of these allegations in her own deposition and at trial. TOPIC 5: CORROBORATING EVIDENCE DISCUSSED During the deposition, Giuffre was shown various exhibits and asked to identify or comment on them. These included photographs she identified as depicting herself at various Epstein properties, travel records and flight logs that she stated corroborated her accounts of travel, correspondence that referenced her by name, and documents from Epstein's staff that referenced her visits. LEGAL STATUS OF THIS TESTIMONY Giuffre's deposition testimony was given under oath and under penalty of perjury. It was used as evidence in the Giuffre v. Maxwell defamation case, which settled in 2017. Portions of the testimony were also referenced in the criminal prosecution of Ghislaine Maxwell (USA v. Maxwell, 20-cr-330), although Giuffre did not testify at the criminal trial. Maxwell was convicted on five of six counts and sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment by Judge Alison J. Nathan. Giuffre subsequently settled separate claims against other individuals. Her defamation lawsuit against Prince Andrew, Duke of York, was settled in February 2022 with no admission of liability. Giuffre's civil claims against Alan Dershowitz were dropped in November 2024 after she stated that she may have been mistaken in her allegations against him. Source: Giuffre v. Maxwell Proceedings Available at: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4355835/giuffre-v-maxwell/