DEPOSITION OF VIRGINIA GIUFFRE Giuffre v. Maxwell — May 2016
Virginia Giuffre (née Roberts) provided extensive sworn deposition testimony spanning multiple days as part of her defamation lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell.
RECRUITMENT: Giuffre testified that she was recruited by Maxwell at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach in the summer of 2000, when she was 16 years old and working as a locker room attendant. She stated that Maxwell approached her about a job opportunity as a traveling masseuse for a wealthy man.
TRAFFICKING: Giuffre described being flown on Epstein's private aircraft — including the Boeing 727 known as the "Lolita Express" (N908JE) — to multiple locations including: — Epstein's Manhattan townhouse (9 East 71st Street) — The Palm Beach mansion (358 El Brillo Way) — Little St. James Island in the U.S. Virgin Islands — Zorro Ranch in New Mexico — London, Paris, and other international destinations
MAXWELL'S ROLE: Giuffre testified that Maxwell played a central role in her grooming and abuse. She described Maxwell as the person who initially recruited her, trained her in how to perform massages that would become sexual in nature, and directed her to specific individuals. Maxwell was described as both participating in abuse and orchestrating encounters.
NAMED INDIVIDUALS: The deposition named numerous individuals whom Giuffre alleged she was directed to engage in sexual acts with. These names, sealed in the original proceedings, were among the most anticipated revelations of the January 2024 unsealing.
This deposition became one of the most consequential documents in the case, forming the foundation for the January 2024 document release and establishing the factual basis for numerous subsequent civil actions.