Lady Victoria Hervey has faced intense backlash after posting her response to Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s tragic death.
Virginia Giuffre, aged 41, was found unresponsive at her home in Neergabby, Western Australia, on Friday night. Western Australia Police confirmed: “The death is being investigated by Major Crime detectives; early indication is the death is not suspicious.”
In a statement released by her family on Saturday morning, they said: “It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia.”
They added: “She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.” They also described her as “a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking” and said: “She was the light that lifted so many survivors. In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight.”
Giuffre had become globally known after alleging that she had been trafficked by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and forced to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was a teenager.
The Duke of York has repeatedly denied the allegations and has never been charged with any criminal offences. In February 2022, Giuffre and Prince Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement, which included a "substantial donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights." The amount was not disclosed, and the settlement avoided a trial.
The infamous photograph of Prince Andrew, Virginia Giuffre, and Ghislaine Maxwell — showing the Duke grinning while holding Giuffre by the bare midriff — had previously been central to Giuffre’s allegations.
Lady Victoria Hervey - who briefly dated Prince Andrew in 1999 - had previously defended the Duke against Giuffre’s allegations.
And in response to Giuffre's death, the 48-year-old socialite took to her Instagram Stories to share a screenshot of article announcing that Giuffre had died by suicide at her farm in Western Australia.
Alongside the post, Hervey wrote: “When lies catch up with you there’s no way out.”
Outrage erupted online immediately. According to The Sun, one social media user said: “Wow she’s a cold hearted woman!”
Others described her as “sick” and said she was “no lady”.
Another X user wrote: "How vile a woman is Lady Victoria Hervey. She mocked Virginia Giuffre after her accident and now again after her suicide."
Lady Victoria Hervey has long made no secret of her disdain for Giuffre, both in life and death.
Two hours after her post sparked widespread condemnation, Hervey backtracked, writing: “I have taken the decision to pause my posts on the topic of Virginia Giuffre at the this time. Irrespective of circumstances, suicide in anyone at anytime is tragic and in a young mother who has children even more so.”
This is not the first time in recent weeks where Hervey has taken a shot at Giuffre.
Just weeks before Giuffre’s death, Hervey publicly mocked her after Giuffre posted an emotional message from her hospital bed, where she revealed she was suffering from kidney failure following a bus crash in Perth.
At the time, Giuffre posted a photo showing her bruised and lying in a hospital bed, claiming she had “four days to live” and pleading to see her children “one last time.” In response, Hervey labeled Giuffre the “Queen of the fake photo” and posted a smiling image of herself with the caption: “What is Karma.”
Hervey also wrote: “If Virginia Giuffre really does have days to live, then a complete confession is needed.”
After sharing her accusations against Epstein and Prince Andrew, Giuffre became a vocal advocate for those who had suffered from sexual abuse.
In court statements against Ghislaine Maxwell - who was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years for her role in trafficking minors - Giuffre said: "Together, you did unthinkable things that still have a corrosive impact on me to this day. I want to be clear about one thing: without question, Jeffrey Epstein was a terrible paedophile. But I never would have met Jeffrey Epstein if not for you.
"For me, and for so many others, you opened the door to hell. You could have put an end to the rapes, the molestations, the sickening manipulations that you arranged, witnessed and even took part in."
Maxwell’s appeal against her conviction and sentence was rejected in September 2024.
Adding complexity to her final months, Giuffre had been scheduled to appear in Perth Magistrates’ Court ten days before her bus crash, facing allegations of breaching a family violence restraining order. She had reportedly become estranged from her husband Robert and their children Christian, Noah, and Emily following a recent separation.
Two days before the crash, Giuffre wrote on Instagram: “My beautiful babies have no clue how much I love them, and they’re being poisoned with lies.”
Her publicist, Dini von Mueffling, said in a tribute: "She adored her children and many animals. She was always more concerned with me than with herself. I will miss her beyond words. It was the privilege of a lifetime to represent her."
Giuffre's family concluded its statement by saying: "Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure."
Our thoughts go out to Giuffre's family and loved ones at this time.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or rainn.org in the US, or contact rapecrisis.org.uk or call 0808 500 2222 in the UK.