A powerful new release this week revisits the life of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of the most widely known survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking network. Giuffre died by suicide earlier this year, and her memoir—published after her death—delves into both her strength and the painful truths she chose to reveal, including new details about the exploitation she endured from influential and well-connected individuals, as well as recently surfaced allegations regarding mistreatment within her own marriage.
The report that follows from Amna Nawaz includes descriptions of sexual abuse a
Most people first heard Virginia Giuffre’s name in 2011, when she publicly began telling her story. In legal filings, she recounted being groomed and sexually abused by Epstein starting when she was just 16. She has long said that Ghislaine Maxwell recruited her from Mar-a-Lago, where Giuffre was working as a teenage locker room attendant. Epstein was eventually arrested on sex-trafficking charges in 2019 but died by suicide while
Even after his death, Giuffre continued pushing for accountability:
“I want to start by saying it’s not how Jeffrey died, but how he lived,” she said. “We need to get to the bottom of everyone involved… I will never stop speaking out until justice is done.”
Her bravery opened the door for countless other survivors to come forward. In April, at just 41 years old, Giuffre died by suicide in Australia, where she had lived for many years with her husband and children.
Her newly published memoir, Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, completed with journalist Amy Wallace, now tells her story in her own words.
Wallace explained that Virginia’s mission was clear from the start: she wanted to show other survivors that they were not alone. She insisted on sharing every part of her experience—painful, complicated, and unfiltered.
The memoir confronts Giuffre’s traumatic childhood, including abuse she says she suffered within her own home and beyond, long before she crossed paths with Epstein. Wallace describes the emotional weight of Virginia’s decision to disclose these early experiences, especially allegations she had never spoken about publicly.
Giuffre’s perception of the world was shaped by the silence surrounding the abuse she endured. That silence, Wallace notes, made Epstein and Maxwell’s manipulation even more effective. Virginia recalled being threatened with harm to her younger brother if she ever tried to escape or report them.
By 16, Giuffre had dropped out of school and was working multiple jobs. Her father, employed as maintenance staff at Mar-a-Lago, helped her secure a position at the spa there. Hoping to become a massage therapist, she began studying anatomy on her own—catching the attention of Maxwell, who invited her to meet Epstein that very afternoon. According to Giuffre, both Maxwell and Epstein abused her the day they met.
From there, the abuse continued—by Epstein, Maxwell, and others in their orbit. She has previously named some individuals publicly, including Prince Andrew, and her memoir expands on those past allegations. Wallace notes that many of the men named in Giuffre’s public depositions have faced little more than issuing denials.
Giuffre also describes Epstein’s extensive documentation of his activities—photos, tapes, lists—which she believed were kept as leverage. Wallace says that if the so-called “Epstein files” were released, they could offer clarity about what occurred and who was involved.
One of the most harrowing accounts in the memoir describes an assault by a powerful prime minister. Although she does not reveal his name in the book, Wallace confirms Virginia shared it with authorities. Safety concerns and fear of retaliation, Wallace says, played a major role in the decision not to publish it.
Throughout the memoir, Giuffre occasionally speaks directly to the reader, urging them not to look away. She intersperses moments of normalcy—like car rides with her children—with the darker memories she was trying to make sense of, grounding her story in both pain and resilience.
In the months before her death, Giuffre’s personal life had become increasingly strained. Wallace shares that Virginia’s marriage had fallen apart and her husband had obtained a restraining order that separated her from her children—an absence that deeply affected her.
Before finishing work on the book, Giuffre sent Wallace a message: “If anything happens to me, I want this book published—not just for me, but for other victims.”
Wallace says Virginia hoped her story would spark a larger conversation about the exploitation of young girls and the culture that allows it to persist. She had wanted to sit in the interview chair herself, Wallace adds, but now her words must speak for her.
“Nobody’s Girl’’ is not just a memoir of trauma—it is the voice of a woman determined that her truth, and the truth of many others, would finally be heard.
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