What testimony did Virginia Giuffre give at the civil deposition against Prince Andrew?
Executive summary
Virginia Giuffre’s civil case against Prince Andrew alleged he sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17 — at Ghislaine Maxwell’s London home, in Jeffrey Epstein’s New York townhouse, and on Epstein’s private island — and she provided sworn depositions and later reiterated those accounts in a memoir and press interviews [1] [2] [3]. The 2022 U.S. lawsuit did not reach a contested jury verdict: Andrew settled in February 2022, and much of what Giuffre had said publicly and in depositions has been summarized and republished in media and in her posthumous memoir [1] [3] [2].
1. What Giuffre testified she experienced: three episodes and locations
Giuffre’s sworn statements and public accounts say she was trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell and was made to have sex with Prince Andrew on three separate occasions when she was 17: once at Maxwell’s London home, once at Epstein’s Manhattan home, and once on Epstein’s Little Saint James island in the U.S. Virgin Islands [1] [2]. These are the core allegations that formed the basis of the U.S. civil complaint and that Giuffre has reiterated in interviews and in excerpts from her memoir [1] [3].
2. Deposition evidence cited by Giuffre and her lawyers
Giuffre’s team pointed to witness testimony and deposition materials to support timelines and movements — for example, a pilot’s deposition and flight logs that Giuffre cited as showing travel with Epstein, Prince Andrew and others on July 4, 2001 — and she quoted earlier depositions in her memoir describing encounters and an instance she called an “orgy” involving Epstein, Andrew and multiple young women [4] [3]. Her lawyers also sought depositions from a range of witnesses — including former staff and people who said they saw Andrew and Giuffre together — to corroborate her account [5].
3. The role of prior sworn testimony and the Maxwell proceedings
Giuffre had already given sworn testimony in related litigation and public interviews before the Andrew case; Maxwell’s conviction in 2021 was cited by Giuffre’s lawyers as reinforcing the allegation that Maxwell facilitated trafficking and abuse [6] [1]. Media coverage and legal filings repeatedly pointed to Giuffre’s earlier depositions and statements as part of the evidentiary record the civil suit would use [6] [7].
4. What the civil case produced — settlement, not a contested trial
The New York civil complaint proceeded through discovery and motions; Judge Kaplan refused to dismiss the suit in January 2022, and depositions were scheduled as part of discovery [6]. Rather than proceed to a contested trial, Prince Andrew reached a settlement in February 2022, which ended the litigation without a jury finding on the merits; mainstream reporting described the settlement as including a payment and a donation to Giuffre’s charity [1] [8]. Legal analysis noted that settlement leaves open public debate but does not produce a judicial determination of guilt or innocence [8].
5. How Giuffre’s later memoir and reporting restated deposition claims
In her posthumous memoir and press excerpts, Giuffre reiterated details she had previously given in deposition — including graphic recollections and the statement that, quoting a 2015 deposition, “Epstein, Andy (Prince Andrew), and approximately eight other young girls, and I had sex together” on at least one occasion [3]. Media outlets summarized these claims while also noting the prior settlement and that Andrew has denied the allegations [3] [9].
6. Competing perspectives, limits of available reporting
Court documents, depositions and media accounts establish Giuffre’s repeated allegations and the existence of supporting witness depositions and flight-log references [5] [4]. Prince Andrew has consistently denied meeting or abusing her, and the settlement avoided a contested deposition or trial testimony from the prince that would have been publicly tested [8] [1]. Available sources do not mention the full text of Giuffre’s 2015 deposition transcript in this dossier; they cite excerpts and summaries published later [3] [4].
7. Why the deposition matter still resonates
Giuffre’s sworn statements, the corroborative depositions sought by her lawyers, and the media republication of deposition excerpts shaped public perception and prompted institutional consequences for Andrew — including loss of royal roles — even though the civil case concluded by settlement rather than a trial verdict [1] [8]. Different outlets emphasize different elements: legal analyses point to pragmatic reasons for settlement, while survivor-focused accounts underscore Giuffre’s consistent allegations and testimony [8] [9].
Limitations: this account uses only the provided news and background items and cites them directly; full deposition transcripts and sealed filings are not included among these sources and therefore are not summarized here (available sources do not mention full sealed transcripts beyond cited excerpts) [3] [6].