A courtroom in Western Australia became the latest arena in the long-running saga surrounding Virginia Giuffre, as lawyers for her sons, former housekeeper, and former attorney appeared Friday to determine who will take control of her estate.
According to The Associated Press, Giuffre, known worldwide for accusing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and later settling a lawsuit against then-Prince Andrew in 2022, died by suicide in April at age 41.
She left no will, prompting multiple parties to claim a stake in managing her remaining assets.
Her two adult sons — Christian, 19, and Noah, 18 — filed a case in June in the state Supreme Court seeking control of their mother’s estate.
That estate includes property in Western Australia, where Giuffre had lived for several years, as well as potential future income from her memoir, “Nobody’s Girl.”
The memoir, released last month, expands on her claims that Epstein trafficked her as a teenager to wealthy and powerful men, including King Charles III’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Mountbatten-Windsor has denied the allegations and said he did not recall ever meeting her.
However, opposition to the sons’ application has emerged from two people who were close to Giuffre in recent years: her former housekeeper and caregiver, Cheryl Myers, and her former attorney in Perth, Karrie Louden. Both women have asked the court to appoint them as administrators instead.
A temporary administrator was installed earlier this week to oversee the estate until the dispute is resolved. Friday’s hearing was the first in what is expected to be a lengthy process, with another date set for next year.
Lawyers spent the session outlining questions the court will need to address, including whether Giuffre’s teenage daughter — whose identity is legally protected — and her estranged husband, Robert Giuffre, should be added as parties to the case.
Giuffre had separated from her husband and children earlier this year. She was facing a charge of breaching a family violence restraining order stemming from an incident in February and died before she was scheduled to appear in court.
The legal battle now centers on who is best positioned to manage her property, intellectual rights, and any future revenue — a fight likely to intensify as the high-profile estate moves deeper into probate.
