The complex legal affairs of Virginia Giuffre, who rose to international prominence after accusing Prince Andrew of sexual abuse, have taken a significant step forward following her death in April. The West Australian supreme court has intervened to manage her multi-million pound estate after it was revealed she died without a valid will.
Court Appoints Interim Administrator
On Monday, the WA supreme court appointed lawyer Ian Torrington Blatchford to take interim control of Giuffre's estate. Blatchford, who will charge A$400 per hour for his services, is now authorised to act as the legal representative for the deceased in any ongoing proceedings. This appointment breaks the deadlock that had stalled several high-profile lawsuits following her death at age 41 on a small farm 80km north of Perth.
The estate is believed to be worth millions and likely includes remains from the £12 million out-of-court settlement Giuffre received in 2022 from Prince Andrew, who has consistently denied her allegations of sexual abuse when she was 17.
Family Dispute and Legal Challenges
Court documents reveal that before Blatchford's appointment, a dispute emerged over who should administer the intestate estate. Giuffre's sons, Christian and Noah, had sought to be appointed administrators. However, their bid faced a legal challenge from Giuffre's lawyer, Karrie Louden, and her housekeeper, Cheryl Myers, who contested the brothers being granted authority over the estate.
This family dispute complicated an already complex legal situation involving multiple lawsuits that had been paused since Giuffre's unexpected death. The court's intervention means these proceedings can now resume with a neutral administrator in place.
Rina Oh Defamation Case to Proceed
One of the most significant cases affected by the administration appointment is the US$10 million defamation lawsuit filed by Rina Oh in October 2021. Oh, who says she was also abused by Jeffrey Epstein, claims Giuffre's social media posts, memoir, and podcast statements wrongly portrayed her as an accomplice of Epstein rather than a victim.
Oh told The Guardian before Blatchford's appointment: "I still suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, especially when I am asked to provide more documents and go through the discovery materials and looking at the court documents. I get flashbacks." She added, "We were waiting for the estate to be established. It has been six years, and I just want it over."
In April this year, a New York appeals court ruled that Oh's defamation claim could continue against Giuffre's estate, as civil liabilities survive a defendant's death. With the interim administrator now appointed, Oh's legal team can formally serve the estate and resume proceedings.
Wider Legal Legacy and Investigations
The WA supreme court orders detail four "existing and other legal proceedings" that Blatchford will oversee. These include:
- A 2015 defamation lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell that was resolved in Giuffre's favour
- An arbitration involving US attorney Alan Dershowitz, whom Giuffre sued for defamation before dropping the case in 2022
- Authority to manage affairs related to Giuffre's memoir "Nobody's Girl", co-written with journalist Amy Wallace
Meanwhile, questions surrounding Giuffre's death continue. Her father, Sky Roberts, claimed on Piers Morgan Uncensored in May that "There's no way that she committed suicide … somebody got to her." However, WA police confirmed this week that her death is not being treated as suspicious, with major crime detectives preparing a report for the coroner.
The coroners court could not provide a timeframe for when investigations into the circumstances surrounding Giuffre's death would be completed, leaving another aspect of this complex case unresolved.
