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Which high-profile individuals did Virginia Giuffre allege in her 2015 defamation suit?
Executive summary
Virginia Giuffre filed a defamation suit in 2015 against Ghislaine Maxwell after Maxwell publicly called Giuffre a liar for alleging she had been trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein; the 2015 suit and its discovery later produced documents naming many people Giuffre said Epstein or Maxwell had directed her to meet, including high‑profile figures such as Prince Andrew and Alan Dershowitz as reported in court coverage and news summaries [1] [2] [3]. Available sources do not provide a single, definitive list from the 2015 complaint itself in the materials you gave; instead, reporting and later unsealed documents and summaries identify a set of prominent individuals Giuffre has named across related filings and testimony [4] [5].
1. The 2015 suit: aimed at Maxwell for calling Giuffre a “liar”
Giuffre’s 2015 civil action was a defamation case filed against Ghislaine Maxwell in New York, brought after Maxwell or her spokespeople publicly characterized Giuffre’s trafficking allegations as “obvious lies” or otherwise called her a liar; the lawsuit centered on those public denials and was later settled under seal [1] [4] [5]. Justia’s appellate summary frames the core allegation: Maxwell defamed Giuffre by calling her trafficking statements lies [1].
2. What the 2015 case produced: unsealed discovery and names
Although the original complaint targeted Maxwell’s statements, extensive discovery in that case — parts of which were later unsealed — produced thousands of pages that reporters and courts say revealed names of over 150 people connected to Epstein; those documents and later reporting list several high‑profile figures Giuffre has alleged were among those she was trafficked to or instructed to see [3] [4]. The unsealing process and subsequent media coverage are the principal sources for identifying which public figures were named in connection with Giuffre’s allegations [1] [4].
3. High‑profile individuals repeatedly named in reporting
Multiple news outlets and summaries that draw on Giuffre’s filings and testimony identify Prince Andrew and attorney Alan Dershowitz among the most prominent names Giuffre has said she was trafficked to or met while under Epstein’s influence [2] [3] [6]. Reporting also references other figures and associates tied to Epstein’s network — for example, French modeling agent Jean‑Luc Brunel — though the degree and context of each allegation vary across filings and later civil suits [6] [3].
4. Differing legal tracks: defamation vs. other civil suits
It matters legally and factually that Giuffre’s 2015 action was a defamation suit against Maxwell for denying Giuffre’s claims, not a standalone tort suit enumerating every person she alleged abused her. Separate litigation and affidavits (and later lawsuits, such as Giuffre’s 2021 suit against Prince Andrew and 2019 defamation action involving Dershowitz) set out more specific allegations against various named individuals [1] [2] [7]. In short: the 2015 suit prompted disclosures that fed other legal actions and media reports that named high‑profile individuals [1] [3].
5. Disputes, denials and counter‑lawsuits
High‑profile figures mentioned in relation to Giuffre’s allegations, including Dershowitz and Prince Andrew, have vigorously denied wrongdoing; some (e.g., Dershowitz) engaged in defamation litigation in response to Giuffre’s statements, and media summaries document competing legal claims [2] [1]. The public record therefore contains both Giuffre’s sworn statements and forceful denials or counterclaims — readers should note that the names appearing in discovery or media accounts are subject to ongoing legal contention [2] [1].
6. What the provided sources do not say
The materials you provided do not include a single authoritative list extracted verbatim from the 2015 complaint enumerating every high‑profile individual Giuffre alleged; instead, the sources show that later unsealed discovery and subsequent lawsuits and reporting identified specific prominent names [3] [4]. If you want the exact language or a comprehensive list as it appeared in a sealed filing or a particular deposition, available sources do not mention a verbatim, consolidated roster from the 2015 file itself in the excerpts here [1] [3].
7. Bottom line and next steps for verification
Based on the provided reporting and court summaries, Giuffre’s 2015 defamation suit was against Ghislaine Maxwell and discovery from that case and related filings named high‑profile people she has accused — most prominently Prince Andrew and Alan Dershowitz — while other names surfaced in unsealed documents and later suits [1] [2] [6]. If you want a strict, source‑by‑source list with the exact allegation wording, request the unsealed 2015‑case documents or specific deposition transcripts referenced in the reporting, because the pieces you gave are summaries and later reporting rather than a single original complaint text [3] [1].