Under that deal, Giuffre agreed to release her claims against “potential defendants,” but the judge repeatedly disagreed with Brettler's argument that wording prevented her from suing the prince. The agreement, under which Epstein paid Giuffre $500,000, was unsealed and became publicly available Monday.
When Brettler continued his claim that the lawsuit lacked sufficient facts to be allowed to proceed toward trial, Kaplan reminded him that a judge is required to accept the assertions in a lawsuit as true at this stage of the case.ĭuring much of a hearing that lasted over an hour, Brettler argued that the prince is protected from being sued by a 2009 settlement agreement between Epstein and Giuffre.
“There isn’t any doubt what that means,” Kaplan said. The judge read aloud a portion of the lawsuit in which Giuffre alleged “involuntary sexual intercourse.” In the lawsuit and in interviews, Giuffre has said she was sexually abused by Andrew at Maxwell's London home, at Epstein’s New York mansion and his estate in the U.S. The prince has strenuously denied Giuffre's allegations.ĭuring Tuesday's arguments, Kaplan rejected Brettler's assertion that Giuffre's claims were too vague and that she failed to “articulate what happened to her at the hands of Prince Andrew.” Giuffre's allegations against Andrew were not a part of either criminal case. Virginia Giuffre sued the prince in August, saying she was coerced into sexual encounters with the prince in 2001 by Epstein and his longtime companion, Ghislaine Maxwell.Īttorney David Boies, representing Giuffre, argued against dismissal of the lawsuit.Įpstein, 66, killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting a sex trafficking trial, while Maxwell, 60, was convicted last week of sex trafficking and conspiracy charges in federal court in New York. When the hearing concluded, Kaplan promised a ruling soon and said he appreciated the “arguments and the passion.” The judge directed that the exchange of potential evidence in the case was to proceed as scheduled. To another, he said: “I understand you are asserting that, but it doesn’t mean it’s correct."Īnd to another: “Mr. “So what?” Kaplan responded to one argument.
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