By Simon CrerarShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberAn Australian court has appointed an interim administrator to oversee the estate of Virginia Giuffre, the Jeffrey Epstein victim whose abuse allegations led to a multimillion dollar settlement with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew.
Coming days ahead of the publication of Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, the move clears the way for stalled legal cases stretching from Australia to New York to restart.
Why It Matters
Giuffre was the most prominent accuser in the Epstein saga and the woman at the center of the case that forced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to give up his royal duties.
According to her family, Giuffre, 41, took her own life in April on her family farm at Neergabby, 50 miles north of Perth, Western Australia. She did not leave a valid will.
...On Monday, the Western Australia supreme court named lawyer Ian Torrington Blatchford as interim administrator of an estate believed to be worth millions.
The estate includes what remains of the reported $15 million settlement Giuffre received in 2022 from Mountbatten-Windsor after accusing then then-Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was 17, allegations he has always denied.
The administrator’s appointment, at AD$400 ($260) per hour according to court documents viewed by Newsweek, means multiple civil actions that had been frozen by Giuffre’s death can now move forward, including a defamation battle with another Epstein survivor and disputes over who controls her literary legacy.
It sets the stage for fresh scrutiny of the settlement and other assets as claimants—including Giuffre’s sons, a former lawyer and a housekeeper—battle for control of her estate.
What To Know
Because Virginia Giuffre left no valid will, a court-appointed administrator is required to manage her affairs and represent her in any pending legal proceedings.
Giuffre’s sons, Christian and Noah, had sought to be named administrators. Court documents obtained by Newsweek show that her lawyer, Karrie Louden, and her carer, Cheryl Myers, mounted a legal challenge to block the brothers from gaining authority over the estate.
A $10 million defamation lawsuit filed in October 2021 in the Southern District of New York district court by fellow Epstein survivor Rina Oh—who at the time went by the name Rina Oh Amen. Oh alleges Giuffre defamed her in social media posts, a memoir and a podcast by portraying her as an accomplice to Epstein rather than a victim.
A counterclaim filed by Giuffre in December 2022 accused Oh of an abusive role in Epstein’s circle, including allegations of cutting her during sadomasochistic encounters while Epstein watched. Oh strongly denies this.
A resolved 2015 defamation case against Ghislaine Maxwell, is listed in the Western Australia court orders as one of four "existing and other legal proceedings."
These proceedings also include an "arbitration" that involved U.S. attorney Alan Dershowitz, who Giuffre dropped a defamation lawsuit against in 2022.
The court order also explicitly authorizes the administrator to act in relation to Giuffre’s memoir, Nobody’s Girl, co-written with journalist Amy Wallace.
The book, to be published in the U.S. on December 9, describes her interactions with Epstein, Maxwell and Mountbatten-Windsor. She also details the molestation she suffered as a child, as well as her escape from Epstein.
...What People Are Saying
Rina Oh, whose case has been on hold pending the appointment of an administrator, told Guardian Australia the drawn-out process has taken a heavy personal toll: "I still suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, especially when I am asked to provide more documents and go through the discovery materials and look at the court documents. I get flashbacks. We were waiting for the estate to be established. It has been six years, and I just want it over."
Sky Roberts, father of Virginia Giuffre, spoke to Piers Morgan on May 1 about his daughter’s death: "First of all, I couldn’t even believe it. I mean, I started crying right away. I’m still crying. I can’t believe that this is happening. It’s impossible," he began before adding: "And then for them to say that she committed suicide, there’s no way that she did. Somebody got to her."
What Happens Next
With an interim administrator in place, Oh’s legal team can formally serve Giuffre’s estate and move to restart the New York defamation proceedings. A U.S. state appeals court has already ruled that her claim can continue against the estate, finding that civil liabilities survive a defendant’s death.
Western Australia's coroner continues to review the police report on Giuffre’s death. However, a spokesperson for Western Australia police said that Giuffre’s death was not being treated as suspicious.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org
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