Virginia L. Giuffre v. Ghislaine Maxwell
Case No. 15-cv-07433 (RWS/LAP) | U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
Case Background
Virginia Giuffre (née Roberts) filed this defamation lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell in September 2015, alleging that Maxwell had defamed her by publicly calling her a liar after Giuffre made allegations of sexual abuse against Maxwell and Epstein.
Giuffre alleged that she was recruited by Maxwell at age 16 while working at Mar-a-Lago and was subsequently trafficked to numerous high-profile individuals. When Giuffre made these claims publicly, Maxwell's spokesperson issued a statement calling Giuffre's allegations "obvious lies." This statement formed the basis of the defamation claim.
While the case itself was a civil defamation action, the discovery process produced an extraordinary volume of sworn testimony and documents that became central to subsequent criminal prosecutions and public understanding of the Epstein network.
Key Depositions
Ghislaine Maxwell Deposition (April 22, 2016)
Maxwell sat for a seven-hour deposition under oath. She denied any involvement in sex trafficking, denied knowledge of Epstein's abuse of minors, and denied having sexual contact with any of the accusers. She invoked the Fifth Amendment to certain questions. When asked about specific individuals, Maxwell frequently responded with "I don't recall." The deposition transcript runs over 400 pages and contains numerous exchanges about Maxwell's relationship with Epstein, her role in managing his household staff, and her knowledge of visitors to his properties.
Virginia Giuffre Deposition (May 3, 2016)
Giuffre provided detailed sworn testimony about her recruitment at Mar-a-Lago, her training by Maxwell, and the individuals she was allegedly directed to provide sexual services to. She named numerous high-profile figures including politicians, academics, businessmen, and royalty. Giuffre described a systematic pattern of trafficking across multiple countries and properties.
Johanna Sjoberg Deposition
A former associate of Epstein who described being recruited while a college student at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Sjoberg's testimony provided corroboration for certain claims about activities at Epstein's properties and named individuals she encountered during her time in Epstein's orbit.
Juan Alessi Deposition
Epstein's former Palm Beach house manager for approximately 11 years provided testimony about the daily operations of Epstein's household, the parade of young women visiting the property, Maxwell's managerial role, and the strict protocols governing staff behavior.
Tony Figueroa Deposition
A former boyfriend of Virginia Giuffre who provided testimony corroborating aspects of her account regarding her recruitment and experiences during the time period when she was allegedly being trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell.
Document Unsealing Timeline
Giuffre filed the defamation claim. Many documents were filed under seal or with redactions due to privacy concerns of third parties named in depositions.
The parties reached a confidential settlement. The terms were not disclosed. However, the sealed documents from discovery remained on the court docket, setting the stage for years of unsealing litigation.
Following a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, a tranche of approximately 2,000 pages of documents was unsealed on August 9, 2019 -- the day before Epstein's death. These documents included portions of depositions, flight logs, and communications.
The original presiding judge, Robert W. Sweet, passed away at age 96. The case was reassigned to Judge Loretta A. Preska, who would oversee the subsequent unsealing battles.
The Miami Herald and other media organizations, along with intervenor Alan Dershowitz and others, continued to litigate for the release of additional sealed materials. Judge Preska established a process for reviewing documents and allowing named individuals to object to their release.
Judge Preska issued an order directing the unsealing of hundreds of pages of previously sealed documents. The order established a rolling release schedule beginning in January 2024.
The first batch of newly unsealed documents was released, containing approximately 940 pages. The documents named over 150 individuals connected to Epstein, including prominent figures in politics, business, academia, and entertainment. The release generated massive global media coverage.
Additional documents were released containing further deposition excerpts, flight log references, and communications. These documents expanded the list of named individuals and provided additional context about the scope of Epstein's operations.
Judge Preska continued to release documents on a rolling basis throughout early 2024, with each batch adding additional details about Epstein's network, Maxwell's role, and the identities of individuals mentioned in sworn testimony.
What the Unsealed Documents Revealed
Scope of the Network
The documents revealed the breadth of Epstein's social and professional network, with depositions naming politicians, business executives, academics, scientists, lawyers, and members of foreign royal families who had interacted with Epstein in various capacities.
Maxwell's Central Role
Sworn testimony consistently described Maxwell as the primary recruiter and organizer of Epstein's trafficking operation. Multiple witnesses described her as managing the logistics, training victims, and personally participating in abuse.
Institutional Failures
Documents revealed that multiple institutions -- including law enforcement agencies, prosecutors' offices, and financial institutions -- had received warnings about Epstein's conduct years before his prosecution, raising questions about systemic failures to protect victims.
Victim Accounts
Detailed deposition testimony from victims provided first-person accounts of the recruitment process, the grooming techniques used, and the specific locations and circumstances of abuse. These accounts formed the evidentiary foundation for subsequent prosecutions.
Flight and Travel Records
Documents included references to Epstein's extensive flight logs, detailing who traveled on his private aircraft to various properties including the Manhattan townhouse, Palm Beach estate, Zorro Ranch in New Mexico, and Little St. James Island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Impact on Subsequent Proceedings
USA v. Maxwell Criminal Trial
Depositions and documents from this case provided prosecutors with crucial evidence for the criminal prosecution of Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell's sworn deposition statements were used to demonstrate inconsistencies with trial testimony and to establish perjury charges.
Perjury Charges
Maxwell's statements in her 2016 deposition, in which she denied knowledge of Epstein's abuse, formed the basis for perjury charges included in the superseding criminal indictment. The government alleged she lied under oath multiple times during the deposition.
Civil Lawsuits Against Institutions
Information from the unsealed documents contributed to civil lawsuits against institutions that facilitated Epstein's activities, including the JPMorgan Chase settlement and other institutional accountability actions.
Public Transparency
The January 2024 unsealing became a watershed moment for public transparency. The documents prompted renewed calls for accountability and contributed to the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which directed the release of federal government records related to the Epstein investigation.
Key Persons
Disclaimer: This page presents information compiled from federal court records, unsealed documents, and published reporting. Being named in deposition testimony or unsealed documents does not imply guilt or criminal conduct. Many individuals named in these documents had lawful associations or deny the allegations made against them. The underlying case was settled with confidential terms. Users are encouraged to consult primary sources for complete context.