3
PARTIES
- Plaintiff Giuffre is an individual who is a citizen of the State of Colorado.
- Defendant Maxwell, who is domiciled in the Southern District of New York, is
not a citizen of the state of Colorado.
FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS - Virginia Giuffre became a victim of sex trafficking and repeated sexual abuse
after being recruited by Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein when Giuffre was under the age
of eighteen. - Between 1999 and 2002, with the assistance and participation of Maxwell,
Epstein sexually abused Giuffre at numerous locations including his mansions in West Palm
Beach, Florida, and in this District. Between 2001 and 2007, with the assistance of numerous
co-conspirators, Epstein abused more than thirty (30) minor underage girls, a fact confirmed by
state and federal law enforcement. - As part of their sex trafficking efforts, Epstein and Maxwell intimidated Giuffre
into remaining silent about what had happened to her. - In September 2007, Epstein entered into a Non-Prosecution Agreement (“NPA”)
that barred his prosecution for numerous federal sex crimes in the Southern District of Florida. - In the NPA, the United States additionally agreed that it would not institute any
federal criminal charges against any potential co-conspirators of Epstein. - As a co-conspirator of Epstein, Maxwell was consequently granted immunity in
the Southern District of Florida through the NPA. - Epstein ultimately pled guilty to procuring a minor for prostitution, and is now a
registered sex offender.
Case 1:15-cv-07433-RWS Document 1 Filed 09/21/15 Page 3 of 12
4
and Epstein agreed to a “confidentiality” provision in the Agreement barring its disclosure to
anyone—including Epstein’s victims. As a consequence, the victims were not told about the
NPA.
Epstein’s victims (other than Giuffre), filed a petition to enforce her rights under the Crime
Victims’ Rights Act (“CVRA”), 18 U.S.C. ¶ 3771, alleging that the Government failed to
provide her the rights promised in the CVRA with regard to the plea arrangement with Epstein.
The litigation remains ongoing.
102—filed a complaint against Jeffrey Epstein in the United States District Court for the
Southern District of Florida. The complaint included allegations made by Giuffre that pertained
to Maxwell.
Maxwell recruited Giuffre (who was then a minor girl) to become a victim of sex trafficking by
introducing Giuffre to Jeffrey Epstein. With the assistance of Maxwell, Epstein was able to
sexually abuse Giuffre for years until Giuffre eventually escaped.
behalf of Giuffre regarding Maxwell.
other similarly-situated victims, Maxwell was served with a subpoena for deposition. Her
testimony was sought concerning her personal knowledge and role in Epstein’s abuse of Giuffre
and others.
Case 1:15-cv-07433-RWS Document 1 Filed 09/21/15 Page 4 of 12
5
consequently she was leaving the United States for London with no plans of ever returning. In
fact, however, within weeks of using that excuse to avoid testifying, Maxwell had returned to
New York.
from Epstein and Maxwell for several years—and arranged to meet with her at the U.S.
Consulate in Sidney. Giuffre provided truthful and accurate information to the FBI about
Epstein and Maxwell’s sexual abuse.
she should speak out about her sexual abuse experiences in hopes of helping others who had also
suffered from sexual trafficking and abuse.
Refuse Silence, Inc., a Florida not-for-profit corporation.
sexual abuse and human trafficking. The goal of her organization was, and continues to be, to
help survivors surmount the shame, silence, and intimidation typically experienced by victims of
sexual abuse. Giuffre has now dedicated her professional life to helping victims of sex
trafficking.
filed by Jane Doe 1 in the Southern District of Florida challenging Epstein’s non-prosecution
agreement by filing her own joinder motion.
Case 1:15-cv-07433-RWS Document 1 Filed 09/21/15 Page 5 of 12
6
Epstein used to procure under-aged girls for sexual activities and a primary co-conspirator and
participant in his sexual abuse and sex trafficking scheme.
discredit Giuffre and to so damage her reputation that Giuffre’s factual reporting of what had
happened to her would not be credited.
Giuffre’s honesty and truthfulness and to accuse Giuffre of lying.
issued an additional false statement to the media and public designed to maliciously discredit
Giuffre. That statement contained the following deliberate falsehoods:
(a) That Giuffre’s sworn allegations “against Ghislaine Maxwell are untrue.”
(b) That the allegations have been “shown to be untrue.”
(c) That Giuffre’s “claims are obvious lies.”
Maxwell’s original response to the lies and defamatory claims remains the same,” an earlier
statement that had falsely described Giuffre’s factual assertions as “entirely false” and “entirely
untrue.”
Southern District of New York and elsewhere in a deliberate effort to maliciously discredit
Giuffre and silence her efforts to expose sex crimes committed around the world by Maxwell,
Epstein, and other powerful persons. Maxwell did so with the purpose and effect of having
Case 1:15-cv-07433-RWS Document 1 Filed 09/21/15 Page 6 of 12
7
others repeat such false and defamatory statements and thereby further damaged Giuffre’s
reputation.
Epstein. Maxwell made her statements knowing full well they were false.
trafficking crimes committed around the world by Maxwell, Epstein and other powerful persons.
broadcast around the world and to intimidate and silence Giuffre from making further efforts to
expose sex crimes committed by Maxwell, Epstein, and other powerful persons.
a statement that she had not recruited an underage Giuffre for Epstein’s abuse. Maxwell’s false
statements were broadcast around the world and were reasonably understood by those who heard
them to be specific factual claims by Maxwell that she had not helped Epstein recruit or sexually
abuse Giuffre and that Giuffre was a liar.
maliciously discredit Giuffre. When a reporter on a Manhattan street asked Maxwell about
Giuffre’s allegations against Maxwell, she responded by saying: “I am referring to the statement
that we made.” The New York Daily News published a video of this response by Maxwell
indicating that she made her false statements on East 65th Street in Manhattan, New York, within
the Southern District of New York.
Case 1:15-cv-07433-RWS Document 1 Filed 09/21/15 Page 7 of 12
8
COUNT I
DEFAMATION
herein. Maxwell made her false and defamatory statements deliberately and maliciously with the
intent to intimidate, discredit and defame Giuffre.
the press her false statements about Giuffre in an attempt to destroy Giuffre’s reputation and
cause her to lose all credibility in her efforts to help victims of sex trafficking.
that her words would dilute, discredit and neutralize Giuffre’s public and private messages to
sexual abuse victims and ultimately prevent Giuffre from effectively providing assistance and
advocacy on behalf of other victims of sex trafficking, or to expose her abusers.
were published internationally for the malicious purpose of further damaging a sexual abuse and
sexual trafficking victim; to destroy Giuffre’s reputation and credibility; to cause the world to
disbelieve Giuffre; and to destroy Giuffre’s efforts to use her experience to help others suffering
as sex trafficking victims.
and maliciously made false and damaging statements of fact concerning Giuffre, as detailed
above, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere.
authorized agent and were made with direct and actual authority from Maxwell as the principal.
Case 1:15-cv-07433-RWS Document 1 Filed 09/21/15 Page 8 of 12
9
agent Gow, not only called Giuffre’s truthfulness and integrity into question, but also exposed
Giuffre to public hatred, contempt, ridicule, and disgrace.
false. Accordingly, she made her statements with actual and deliberate malice, the highest
degree of awareness of falsity.
be transmitted in writing, widely disseminated on the internet and in print. Maxwell intended her
false statements to be published by newspaper and other media outlets internationally, and they
were, in fact, published globally, including within the Southern District of New York.
Giuffre to public contempt, ridicule, aversion, and disgrace, and induced an evil opinion of her in
the minds of right-thinking persons.
injure Giuffre in her professional capacity as the president of a non-profit corporation designed
to help victims of sex trafficking, and inasmuch as they destroyed her credibility and reputation
among members of the community that seeks her help and that she seeks to serve.
against sex trafficking Giuffre acted with fraud, dishonesty, and unfitness for the task.
Maxwell’s false statements directly and indirectly indicate that Giuffre lied about being recruited
by Maxwell and sexually abused by Epstein and Maxwell. Maxwell’s false statements were
reasonably understood by many persons who read her statements as conveying that specific
intention and meaning.
Case 1:15-cv-07433-RWS Document 1 Filed 09/21/15 Page 9 of 12
10
read those statements as making specific factual claims that Giuffre was lying about specific
facts.
description of factual events, and many persons who read Maxwell’s statements reasonably
understood that those statements referred directly to Giuffre’s account of her life as a young
teenager with Maxwell and Epstein.
on television, through newspapers, by word of mouth and on the internet. As intended by
Maxwell, her statements were published and disseminated around the world.
Epstein and other powerful persons acting as Epstein’s representatives and surrogates. Maxwell
made and coordinated her statements in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere with
the specific intent to amplify the defamatory effect those statements would have on Giuffre’s
reputation and credibility.
her general and specific authorization, adopted, distributed, and published the false statements on
Maxwell’s behalf. In addition, Maxwell and her authorized agents made false statements in
reckless disregard of their truth or falsity and with malicious intent to destroy Giuffre’s
reputation and credibility; to prevent her from further disseminating her life story; and to cause
persons hearing or reading Giuffre’s descriptions of truthful facts to disbelieve her entirely.
Maxwell made her false statements wantonly and with the specific intent to maliciously damage
Giuffre’s good name and reputation in a way that would destroy her efforts to administer her
Case 1:15-cv-07433-RWS Document 1 Filed 09/21/15 Page 10 of 12