The family of Virginia Giuffre, who was among Jeffrey Epstein’s most well-known sex trafficking accusers, said that it was shocking to hear President Donald Trump say the disgraced financier “stole” Giuffre from him.
Giuffre, who had accused influential men of sexually exploiting her as a teenager trafficked by Epstein, has been a central figure in conspiracy theories tied to the case. She died by suicide this year.
Her family’s statement is the latest development involving Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019, facing federal sex trafficking charges. Donald Trump, a one-time friend, denied prior knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and claimed he severed ties years ago, with questions persisting.
Responding to a reporter’s question on Tuesday, Trump said he was upset with Epstein for poaching workers and stealing Ms Giuffre from his Palm Beach, Florida, club.
“It was shocking to hear President Trump invoke our sister and say that he was aware that Virginia had been ‘stolen’ from Mar-a-Lago,” the family’s statement said.
“We and the public are asking for answers; survivors deserve this,” it continued.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted the president was responding to a reporter’s question and didn’t bring up Giuffre himself.
“The fact remains that President Trump kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his club for being a creep to his female employees,” she said.
The family’s statement comes shortly after the Justice Department interviewed Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 on sex trafficking and other charges and is serving a 20-year sentence in Tallahassee, Florida. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviewed Maxwell in a Florida courthouse, though details about what she said haven’t become public.
Maxwell’s lawyers have said she testified truthfully and answered questions “about 100 different people.” They have said she’s willing to answer more questions from Congress if she is granted immunity from future prosecution for her testimony and if lawmakers agree to satisfy other conditions.
A message seeking comment about the Giuffre family’s statement was sent to Maxwell’s attorney on Thursday.
In a CNN interview Thursday evening, Giuffre’s family also spoke out.
“She wasn’t stolen, she was preyed upon at his property, at President Trump’s property … stolen seems very impersonal. It feels very much like an object, and the survivors are not objects, women are not objects,” said Sky Roberts, Giuffre’s brother. “She was preyed upon, and it certainly makes you kind of ask the question, you know, how much he knew during that time?”
A Trump administration official said the president is not currently considering clemency action for Maxwell.
