Prince Andrew’s sex accuser had sought $5 million to settle out of court — but will no longer accept a potential payout because she wants the case to go to trial, according to a report.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre, 38, is suing the 61-year-old UK royal for allegedly having sex with her three times starting when she was just 17.
Sources told The Telegraph that she initially sought a settlement of $5 million from Andrew — 10 times the $500,000 she got from Jeffrey Epstein, the late pedophile who she says ordered her to have “disgusting” sex with the prince.
But now that the case looks set to go to trial later this year, the longtime accuser is no longer willing to settle out of court, the paper’s sources said.
Giuffre — a founder of the nonprofit Speak Out, Act, Reclaim (SOAR) helping sex-trafficking victims — wants to instead show the legal consequences for those preying on young girls, the paper said.
She believes that accepting a payout from the scandal-scarred son of Queen Elizabeth II would not “advance that message,” the UK paper said.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre reportedly demanded $5 million from Prince Andrew after accusing him of sexual abuse.William Farrington
Prince Andrew reportedly didn’t accept Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s $5 million payout offer.Gregory P. Mango
Virginia Roberts Giuffre accused Jefrrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell of trafficking her to Prince Andrew.
Her lawyer, David Boies, previously confirmed that her camp had offered the royal the chance to enter a “tolling agreement,” which would have given Andrew time to negotiate a settlement privately.
The prince never accepted the offer and instead initially tried to dodge getting served the Manhattan court papers in the suit, according to previous hearings and filings.
His lawyers have since fought to get the case against him dismissed, claiming that Giuffre’s settlement with Epstein — which was made public last week — also covers him from liability.
An image from a police raid shows Jeffrey Epstein’s Palm Beach property in Florida.SDNY
Court documents show Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous “Lolita Express” airplane where he sexually abused and trafficked women.SplashNews.com
A court photo shows Jeffrey Epstein’s Little St James Island in the Virgin Islands where he allegedly trafficked women.SplashNews.com
As of Friday, Judge Lewis Kaplan had yet to issue a decision on the motion. But at a hearing Tuesday, the judge appeared to suggest the settlement was not clear enough to keep the prince from getting sued.
Giuffre for years has insisted that Epstein and his now-convicted madam, Ghislaine Maxwell, forced her to have “disgusting” sex with the prince three times — in London, New York and on Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean.
Andrew’s legal team has called the lawsuit “baseless” and said he “unequivocally denies Giuffre’s false allegations against him.”
Virginia Roberts Giuffre walks with her legal team to file a lawsuit against Jeffrey Epstein’s estate on August 27, 2019.Gregory P. Mango
Prince Andrew claims he did not have sex with Virginia Roberts Giuffre at a London club in 2001 because of his body’s inability to sweat.DOJ
Virginia Roberts Giuffre holds a photo of herself when she was 16.Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Maxwell was convicted of sex-trafficking and other charges Dec. 29 in Manhattan federal court and faces up to 65 years in prison. She was accused of procuring victims for her buddy Epstein and engaging in some of the abuse, as well.
Her lawyers are now pushing for a mistrial after two jurors have admitted swaying deliberations with tales of their own childhood abuse that they may not have declared before being picked for the panel.
Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
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