The family of Virginia Giuffre, the prominent Jeffrey Epstein accuser who died by suicide in April, has revealed she desperately wanted the Epstein files released before her death, as pressure mounts on President Donald Trump to make the documents public.
In an exclusive interview with NBC News, Amanda Roberts, Giuffre’s sister-in-law, disclosed that the 41-year-old abuse survivor had maintained hope the files would be released. “She had a little bit of hope in her because it was said that the files were going to be released,” Roberts said.
Giuffre, who sued Prince Andrew for sexual abuse in 2021, died at her farm in Neergabby, Western Australia, on 25 April 2025. Her family confirmed she took her own life after years of trauma from the abuse she suffered.
“She was fighting for that to happen right up until the very end,” Roberts said of Giuffre’s campaign for transparency. She wanted the public to know the crimes that they had committed.
The revelations come as President Trump faces intense pressure from politicians within both parties to release Department of Justice files related to Epstein. During a flight on Air Force One returning from Scotland on Tuesday, Trump made a startling admission about Giuffre’s connection to his Mar-a-Lago resort.
“I think she worked at the spa… I think so. I think that was one of the people. He stole her and, by the way, she had no complaints about us, as you know, none whatsoever,” Trump told reporters when asked if Giuffre was among employees Epstein had “poached” from Mar-a-Lago.
The president claimed he had fallen out with Epstein after the financier repeatedly took employees from his Florida resort. “He took people that worked for me. And I told him, ‘Don’t do it any more.’ And he did it,” Trump said.
Danny Wilson, one of Giuffre’s brothers, expressed frustration at having to relive his sister’s trauma. We’ve constantly had to relive, since my sister’s passing, these things from her past,” he told NBC News.
Giuffre became internationally known after accusing Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was 17 and had been trafficked by Epstein. The Duke of York reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in February 2022 for an undisclosed sum, reportedly worth £12 million ($15 million), while maintaining his denial of the allegations.
The pressure for transparency has created a rare rift between Trump and his political base. Attorney General Pam Bondi had promised in February to release a “truckload” of new information, claiming Epstein’s “client list” was “sitting on my desk.” However, the DOJ later announced it found no evidence of such a list.
House Republicans joined Democrats on Wednesday in voting to subpoena the Justice Department for Epstein-related documents. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer told CNN that “people overwhelmingly want to do it,” referring to the release of the files.
The controversy has engulfed Congress, with House Speaker Mike Johnson facing criticism for not bringing Epstein-related measures to the floor. Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie introduced a discharge petition to force a House vote, stating: “We all deserve to know what’s in the Epstein files, who’s implicated, and how deep this corruption goes.”
Democratic Representative Ro Khanna emphasised the broader implications: “It goes to the heart of trust in the government. It goes to the heart of whether our government is granting impunity to the rich and the powerful who may have abused, assaulted, abandoned young girls.”
Recent polls show the issue dividing Trump’s base. A Quinnipiac poll from 16 July revealed that whilst 40 per cent of Republicans backed Trump’s handling of the issue, 36 per cent disapproved. A CBS/YouGov poll found 90 per cent of Americans believe the government should release all Epstein information.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s accomplice currently serving a 20-year prison sentence, on Thursday at a federal facility in Tallahassee. The meeting was part of efforts to investigate whether others “committed crimes against victims.
Giuffre’s death marked a tragic end for one of Epstein’s most vocal accusers. Court documents revealed she met Maxwell whilst working as a locker room attendant at Mar-a-Lago in 2000 when she was 16. She alleged Maxwell recruited her for Epstein, leading to years of abuse and trafficking.
“Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors,” her family said in their statement following her death.
The Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files has become what analysts describe as a “self-created perfect storm.” Legal experts note the closeness between Trump and his Justice Department appointees makes it difficult for the president to distance himself from the controversy.
As the pressure intensifies, Trump has attempted to deflect criticism, calling the demands a “Jeffrey Epstein Hoax” and blaming “radical left lunatics.” However, much of the criticism has come from within his own MAGA base, creating what Republican strategist Rina Shah described as “furious” voters demanding transparency.
Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 whilst awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide, though conspiracy theories have persisted, particularly among Trump supporters who have demanded full disclosure of investigative files.
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