Prince Andrew Reaches 'Settlement In Principle' With Virginia Giuffre In Civil Sex Abuse Suit: Report
Prince Andrew and accuser Virginia Giuffre have reportedly reached a "settlement in principle" in the civil sexual abuse case filed in the U.S.
"Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out of court settlement," a document submitted to a U.S. court and obtained by Daily Mail read. "The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms Giuffre's receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed)."
"Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights," the document reportedly continued. "Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms Giuffre's character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks."
"It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years. Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others," the document read, per the outlet. "He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims."
Virginia filed a suit against the royal in August 2021, alleging she was trafficked by disgraced financier Jeffrey and Ghislaine Maxwell. According to Virginia, she was forced to have sex with Andrew on three occasions when she was a minor.
One day after a judge ruled in January that the Duke of York will be facing a civil trial in the U.S., Queen Elizabeth II stripped him of his military titles and royal patronages, meaning he would be defended in the case as a "private citizen."
- Prince Charles Will Have 'Less Sympathy' For Prince Andrew When He's King After The Duke Of York Reaches 'Settlement In Principle' With Virginia Giuffre, Royal Expert Suspects
- Prince Andrew's Ex Victoria Harvey Dubs Accuser Virginia Giuffre A 'Scam Artist,' Insists She Deserves A 'Prison Cell Full Of Rats' After Settlement
- Prince In A Pickle: Judge Orders Duke Of York To Face Virginia Giuffre's Sexual Assault Lawsuit In U.S. Court
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Andrew's legal team previously tried to get the case thrown out on the grounds that Virginia agreed to be paid $500,000 by Jeffrey to settle the sexual assault allegations against him. The defense insisted the 2009 settlement also protected the royal from further liability, but the judge shut down their request.
OK! exclusively learned Andrew was shocked by the judge's decision to pursue the case, as "he believed his lawyers would find a loophole," a source explained.
As for the rest of the royal family's thoughts on Andrew's scandal, the OK! insider spilled that Her Majesty is "worried about the outcome and what it means for the monarchy." Meanwhile, Andrew's brother Prince Charles and his son Prince William just wanted the mess cleaned up as quickly as possible.
After Andrew's team requested a trial by jury, an insider squealed that "senior royals were deeply shocked" by the decision, as there were "deep worries" amongst the royals that "this will get worse and worse for the family."