- Prince Andrew's sex assault lawsuit is over
- He settled out of court with Virginia Giuffre
- Here are the first details on the settlement
Today, Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre settled their sexual assault lawsuit for an undisclosed amount of money.
The decision comes just over a month after a judge allowed the civil case to go forward. So far, a few details on the out-of-court settlement are known, and here they are.
Prince Andrew settles lawsuit out of court: First details
Per BBC News, a court statement made on behalf of the Duke of York reads: "Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights.
"Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre's character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks."
The statement then goes on to address Prince Andrew's well-documented ties to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein — whose child sex trafficking ring victimized Giuffre.
"It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years. Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others.
"He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims."
Also interesting:
According to People, a dismissal will be filed in the case once Giuffre receives the settlement — for an unknown amount of money — from Prince Andrew.
It's a swift decision in accuser Virginia Giuffre's sexual assault lawsuit. A judge allowed the civil case to go forward on Jan. 12.
Prince Andrew was also scheduled to give evidence under oath next month, and the case would have gone to trial at the end of this year. But an out-of-court settlement has now been reached.
Prince Andrew always denied Giuffre's allegations that he sexually abused her while she was a victim of child sex trafficking, and it appears he admitted to no wrongdoing — outside of the Epstein friendship — in his settlement.
We'll see what Prince Andrew's pledge to "demonstrate his regret" ends up looking like.