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Epstein Victim Says She May Have Made a Mistake in Accusing Dershowitz Epstein Victim Says She May Have ‘Made a Mistake’ in Accusing Dershowitz
(about 3 hours later)
Virginia Giuffre, a victim of Jeffrey E. Epstein who for years maintained that the law professor Alan Dershowitz sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager, settled a defamation lawsuit against Mr. Dershowitz on Tuesday, and said that she may have made a mistake in accusing him. Virginia Giuffre, a victim of Jeffrey E. Epstein who for years maintained that the law professor Alan Dershowitz had sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager, settled a defamation lawsuit against Mr. Dershowitz on Tuesday and said that she might have “made a mistake” in accusing him.
In a joint statement announcing the settlement, Ms. Giuffre said that while she had long believed she was trafficked to Mr. Dershowitz by Mr. Epstein, she was young at the time and was in a stressful and traumatic environment. She noted that Mr. Dershowitz had denied the allegations consistently and said that she recognized she may have made a mistake. The joint statement also included comments from Mr. Dershowitz, who commended Ms. Giuffre for her courage in saying she may have been mistaken. In a joint statement announcing the settlement, Ms. Giuffre said, “I have long believed that I was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein to Alan Dershowitz. However, I was very young at the time, it was a very stressful and traumatic environment, and Mr. Dershowitz has from the beginning consistently denied these allegations.
The joint statement was obtained by The New York Times and a lawyer for Mr. Dershowitz confirmed its authenticity. A lawyer for Ms. Giuffre would not comment on the statement, but confirmed that the settlement had been reached. A document confirming that the parties had agreed to dismiss the case was filed in federal court Tuesday afternoon. “I now recognize I may have made a mistake in identifying Mr. Dershowitz,” her statement said.
“She has suffered much at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein and I commend her work combating the evil of sex trafficking,” Mr. Dershowitz said in his own statement. The joint statement announced the end of litigation between Ms. Giuffre and Mr. Dershowitz — who had also sued her — as well as of two other lawsuits between Mr. Dershowitz and the lawyer David Boies that stemmed from Ms. Giuffre’s accusation.
Mr. Dershowitz was also expected to settle dueling lawsuits with the lawyer David Boies, who has represented Ms. Giuffre, though not in this matter. Ms. Giuffre had sued Mr. Dershowitz on the grounds that he had made defamatory statements about her after her accusation. Her lawyer would not comment on the statement but confirmed that the settlement had been reached. A document confirming that Ms. Giuffre had agreed to dismiss her case was filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan Tuesday afternoon.
“She has suffered much at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein, and I commend her work combating the evil of sex trafficking,” Mr. Dershowitz said of Ms. Giuffre in his own statement.
And Mr. Boies, who has represented Ms. Giuffre, though not in this matter, said that “the time has come to end this litigation” and that Mr. Dershowitz “has suffered greatly from the allegation of sexual abuse made against him — an allegation that he has consistently and vehemently denied.”
The settlement of the defamation lawsuit, which was filed in 2019, and Ms. Giuffre’s accompanying statement represented a remarkable turnabout for Mr. Dershowitz, who has been trying to resuscitate his reputation since Ms. Giuffre first made her claim publicly in 2014. Her accusations against Mr. Epstein have been corroborated.The settlement of the defamation lawsuit, which was filed in 2019, and Ms. Giuffre’s accompanying statement represented a remarkable turnabout for Mr. Dershowitz, who has been trying to resuscitate his reputation since Ms. Giuffre first made her claim publicly in 2014. Her accusations against Mr. Epstein have been corroborated.
A longtime friend of Mr. Epstein, Mr. Dershowitz defended the financier after he was first arrested and charged with sex trafficking, attacking his client’s young accusers and in 2008, helped to win a lenient plea deal for Mr. Epstein. After pleading guilty to two prostitution charges in state court, Mr. Epstein served about a year in a Florida jail, leaving confinement six days a week to work out of his office. A longtime friend of Mr. Epstein, Mr. Dershowitz defended the financier after he was first arrested and charged with sex trafficking, attacking his client’s young accusers, and in 2008, helped to win a lenient plea deal for Mr. Epstein. After pleading guilty to two prostitution charges in state court, Mr. Epstein served about a year in a Florida jail, leaving confinement six days a week to work out of his office.
The plea deal was far from the end of the matter. It led to more litigation, including a 2014 lawsuit that sought to have the deal thrown out for violating a federal law that required that non-prosecution agreements be shared with the victims of crimes. (A federal judge later determined that prosecutors had broken the law by not sharing the agreement.)The plea deal was far from the end of the matter. It led to more litigation, including a 2014 lawsuit that sought to have the deal thrown out for violating a federal law that required that non-prosecution agreements be shared with the victims of crimes. (A federal judge later determined that prosecutors had broken the law by not sharing the agreement.)
As part of that lawsuit, Ms. Giuffre first publicly detailed her accusation of Mr. Dershowitz, saying that he had sex with her when she was underage. Her claim prompted furious denials from the lawyer, who until then had been known for high-profile defenses of O.J. Simpson, Claus von Bülow, Mike Tyson and others.As part of that lawsuit, Ms. Giuffre first publicly detailed her accusation of Mr. Dershowitz, saying that he had sex with her when she was underage. Her claim prompted furious denials from the lawyer, who until then had been known for high-profile defenses of O.J. Simpson, Claus von Bülow, Mike Tyson and others.
The murmurs about Mr. Epstein continued, spurred by reporting from The Miami Herald, and new attention prompted by the #MeToo movement. In 2019, federal prosecutors in New York revived the case against him, charging him with sex trafficking. Before he could be tried, Mr. Epstein committed suicide in August 2019. The murmurs about Mr. Epstein continued, spurred by reporting from The Miami Herald and new attention prompted by the #MeToo movement. In 2019, federal prosecutors in New York revived the case against him, charging him with sex trafficking. Before he could be tried, Mr. Epstein committed suicide in August 2019.
By then, Ms. Giuffre’s name had become widely known. In the months after Mr. Epstein was charged, a trove of sealed legal documents related to a defamation lawsuit that Ms. Giuffre filed against Ghislaine Maxwell became public. Ms. Maxwell, Mr. Epstein’s longtime girlfriend, was later convicted of child sex trafficking and sentenced to 20 years in prison.By then, Ms. Giuffre’s name had become widely known. In the months after Mr. Epstein was charged, a trove of sealed legal documents related to a defamation lawsuit that Ms. Giuffre filed against Ghislaine Maxwell became public. Ms. Maxwell, Mr. Epstein’s longtime girlfriend, was later convicted of child sex trafficking and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Ms. Giuffre also sued another associate of Mr. Epstein, Prince Andrew of the British royal family, whom she accused of raping her when she was a teenager. That lawsuit was settled in February. Prince Andrew did not admit guilt; he released a statement saying that he “regrets his association with Epstein and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others.”Ms. Giuffre also sued another associate of Mr. Epstein, Prince Andrew of the British royal family, whom she accused of raping her when she was a teenager. That lawsuit was settled in February. Prince Andrew did not admit guilt; he released a statement saying that he “regrets his association with Epstein and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others.”
Before Mr. Epstein’s 2019 death in a Manhattan jail cell, Ms. Giuffre sued him too, receiving $500,000 in a settlement.Before Mr. Epstein’s 2019 death in a Manhattan jail cell, Ms. Giuffre sued him too, receiving $500,000 in a settlement.
The terms of Ms. Giuffre’s deal with Mr. Dershowitz were not immediately clear on Tuesday, though the statement and the court filing said that no payments were made by any of the parties. The terms of Ms. Giuffre’s deal with Mr. Dershowitz were not immediately clear on Tuesday, though the statement and the court filing said that no payments were made by any of the parties. The deal ended both pairs of lawsuits: Ms. Giuffre’s defamation suit against Mr. Dershowitz; Mr. Dershowitz’s defamation lawsuit against Ms. Giuffre; Mr. Boies’s defamation lawsuit against Mr. Dershowitz, filed in 2019; and Mr. Dershowitz’s countersuit against Mr. Boies, filed early the following year.
The suits between Mr. Boies and Mr. Dershowitz were related to Ms. Giuffre’s accusations. Mr. Boies sued Mr. Dershowitz for saying that Mr. Boies had manufactured the allegations as part of a plot to extort money from the billionaire Leslie Wexner, whose finances were managed by Mr. Epstein. Mr. Dershowitz reiterated those accusations in his January 2021 lawsuit.
Those suits were moving ahead, with Mr. Boies questioning Mr. Dershowitz under oath in late September in a session that Mr. Dershowitz cut off abruptly, citing health concerns.
In a follow-up interview, Mr. Boies said that while he stood by his statement about Mr. Dershowitz, “My accusations against him stand unretracted, and his allegations against me are now retracted.”
Mr. Dershowitz has long been a legal celebrity. He first entered the spotlight when, at 28, he became the youngest professor ever to work at Harvard Law School.Mr. Dershowitz has long been a legal celebrity. He first entered the spotlight when, at 28, he became the youngest professor ever to work at Harvard Law School.
His profile grew in tandem with his famous clients and he appeared in coverage of the trial of Patricia Hearst, a kidnapped heiress, and Mr. Von Bülow. The Danish-born socialite was convicted of having tried to murder his wife, but appealed successfully with Mr. Dershowitz’s help. His profile grew in tandem with his famous clients, and he appeared in coverage of the trial of Patricia Hearst, a kidnapped heiress, and Mr. Von Bülow. The Danish-born socialite was convicted of having tried to murder his wife but appealed successfully with Mr. Dershowitz’s help. Mr. Dershowitz’s 1985 book about the case, “Reversal of Fortune,” contributed to his growing fame.
Mr. Dershowitz thrilled to conflict; a champion of Israel, he appeared at public debates on the country’s politics and relished the (often negative) attention that came with representation of his famous clients. In most circumstances, Mr. Dershowitz welcomed public conflict; a champion of Israel, he appeared at public debates on the country’s politics and relished the (often negative) attention that came with representation of his famous clients.
But Ms. Giuffre’s accusation, though it was never proven and no criminal charges ever arose from it, was related to Mr. Dershowitz’s private life rather than his work.But Ms. Giuffre’s accusation, though it was never proven and no criminal charges ever arose from it, was related to Mr. Dershowitz’s private life rather than his work.
After Ms. Giuffre first made her accusation public, in the 2014 lawsuit, Mr. Dershowitz told The Times that he regretted taking Mr. Epstein’s case “in light of everything that has happened.”After Ms. Giuffre first made her accusation public, in the 2014 lawsuit, Mr. Dershowitz told The Times that he regretted taking Mr. Epstein’s case “in light of everything that has happened.”