What specific allegations did Virginia Giuffre make against Alan Dershowitz and in what filings?
Executive summary
Virginia Giuffre’s primary allegation against Alan Dershowitz was that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked her to Dershowitz and that they had sex multiple times while she was a minor; she made those claims in court filings and a 2016 deposition that later became unsealed and in a 2019 defamation lawsuit, but she formally dropped the defamation suit and said she “may have made a mistake” in identifying Dershowitz in a 2022 settlement that dismissed litigation between them [1] [2] [3] [4]. Reporting and the parties’ statements show a disputed record: Giuffre’s detailed deposition allegations existed, Dershowitz consistently denied them and both sides later agreed to dismiss claims without payment [2] [3] [4].
1. What Giuffre specifically alleged in filings: the claim of repeated sex while trafficked
In a 2016 deposition that was later unsealed, Giuffre alleged that Epstein trafficked her to Alan Dershowitz and that she and Dershowitz had sex “at least six times” while she was being trafficked — an allegation summarized in reporting about the unsealed deposition [2]. Earlier reporting and summaries of court filings also state Giuffre claimed Epstein trafficked her to Dershowitz during roughly 2000–2002, a period she described as when she was young and being abused by Epstein and his associates [1] [3].
2. Where those allegations appeared in the record: deposition, affidavits and lawsuits
Giuffre’s allegations appear in multiple court-related documents: a 2016 deposition that was unsealed and widely reported; earlier affidavits and court papers she filed in litigation related to Epstein; and a 2019 defamation suit she filed against Dershowitz after he publicly denied the claims [2] [1] [3]. Those filings and the unsealed deposition provided the most detailed public account of her allegations against Dershowitz [2].
3. Dershowitz’s response and the resulting litigation dynamics
Alan Dershowitz consistently and vehemently denied Giuffre’s allegations from the start and characterized public statements about him as defamatory; he countersued Giuffre after she sued him for defamation in 2019, setting up reciprocal litigation between the parties [3] [4]. Reporting notes a protracted legal battle including defamation claims by both sides [4] [3].
4. How the litigation ended: withdrawal and joint dismissal
In November 2022, the parties issued a joint statement and filed stipulations to dismiss the litigation with prejudice; Giuffre said she “may have made a mistake in identifying Mr. Dershowitz,” and the dismissal reportedly did not involve any monetary payment by any party [4] [3]. Reporting characterizes the resolution as an end to active litigation rather than a court finding on the underlying factual dispute [4] [3].
5. Conflicting accounts and limits of available reporting
There are two clear, competing narratives in available sources: Giuffre’s detailed deposition and her court filings alleging repeated sexual encounters with Dershowitz while trafficked by Epstein [2] [1], and Dershowitz’s steadfast denials and legal challenge to those accusations [3] [4]. The joint dismissal and Giuffre’s statement that she “may have made a mistake” resolves the lawsuits but does not establish a judicial finding validating or invalidating the original trafficking allegation — available sources do not describe a trial or court ruling on the underlying sexual-assault claims [4] [3].
6. Broader context: why these filings mattered publicly
Giuffre’s naming of high-profile figures in sealed and later unsealed documents, including Dershowitz, drew sustained attention because it tied a prominent lawyer to Epstein’s network; the unsealing of the 2016 deposition renewed public focus on those specific allegations [2] [1]. At the same time, the legal back-and-forth — defamation suits and countersuits ending in a dismissal with statements that one party “may have made a mistake” — highlights how litigation over public accusations can end without a courtroom resolution of contested factual claims [4] [3].
Final note on sourcing and limits: this summary relies on reporting about Giuffre’s 2016 deposition, contemporaneous court filings and later news coverage of the 2022 dismissal and parties’ statements; the available sources do not include a court judgment resolving the factual allegations, and they do not provide additional documentary proof beyond the deposition and filings referenced [2] [4] [3] [1].