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Woman sentenced to life for murdering parents and living with their bodies

<p>A British woman, who murdered her parents and lived with their bodies for four years, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday and is not eligible for parole for 36 years. </p> <p>When Essex Police raided Virginia McCullough's house in Great Baddow last September, the 36-year-old confessed that her parents' bodies were in the house and that she had killed them. </p> <p>She admitted to poisoning her father, John McCullough, 70, with prescription medication that she put into his drink, and then a few days later, beat her 71-year-old mother Lois McCullough with a hammer and fatally stabbed her. </p> <p>“I did know that this would kind of come eventually,” she said while handcuffed in body cam footage released by police on Friday. </p> <p>“It’s proper that I serve my punishment.”</p> <p>After McCullough was arrested, she told an officer: “Cheer up, at least you’ve caught the bad guy,” adding that “I know I don’t seem 100 per cent evil.”</p> <p>Further body cam footage showed her at the police station telling officers where to find the tools she used to kill her mother. </p> <p>She had pleaded guilty to murdering her parents at a previous hearing in June 2019. </p> <p>In the words of the prosecution, McCullough kept her father in a “homemade mausoleum” in his bedroom and study, in a structure that was “composed with masonry blocks stacked together.”</p> <p>She wrapped her mother's body in a sleeping bag and put it in a wardrobe on the top floor of the property. </p> <p>In the four years after the murder, she ran up £149,697 ($AU289,792) on credit cards in her parents’ names and continued to spend their pensions.</p> <p>The court heard she cancelled family arrangements and told doctors and relatives that her parents were unwell or away on a trip. </p> <p>Statements from her three unnamed siblings were also read in court, and one said:  “our parents were completely blameless victims”. </p> <p>“Virginia always said Mum and Dad were fine and made up lie after lie about their daily activities," another said. </p> <p>Judge Jeremy Johnson said at the sentencing hearing on Friday that McCullough’s actions represented a “gross violation of the trust that should exist between parents and their children.”</p> <p>Judge Johnson said that she had  maintained an “elaborate, extensive and enduring web of deceit” over months and years and that he was sure there was  a “substantial degree of both pre-meditation and planning," that went into the murder. </p> <p>Essex Police said documents found in the home showed that McCullough was trying desperately” to keep her parents from discovering the poor state of her finances, and gave “false assurances” about her employment and future prospects.</p> <p>“She is an intelligent manipulator who chose to kill her parents callously, without a thought for them or those who continue to suffer as a result of their loss,” said Detective Superintendent Rob Kirby. </p> <p>"The details of this case shock and horrify even the most experienced of murder detectives, let alone any right-thinking member of the public.”</p> <p><em>Image: Essex Police/ 7NEWS</em></p> <p> </p>

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Ghislaine Maxwell opens up about “dear friend” Prince Andrew

<p dir="ltr"><em>Content warning: This article mentions sexual assault and child sexual abuse (CSA).</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell has spoken about her “dear friend” Prince Andrew and made new claims about a piece of evidence used against the former royal.</p> <p dir="ltr">In an exclusive interview from her jail cell, Maxwell told journalist Daphne Barak that she feels “so bad” for the prince.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I follow what is happening to him,” she told Barak.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the <em>Sun on Sunday</em>, the outlet that published the interview, Maxwell looked “shaken” when told Andrew’s lawyers had claimed the pair were never close.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I accept that this friendship could not survive my conviction,” she said in response. </p> <p dir="ltr">“He is paying such a price for the association. I consider him a dear friend. I care about him.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The interview is the first since she was convicted of sex trafficking underage girls for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to abuse between 1994 and 2004, for which she was sentenced to 20 years behind bars.</p> <p dir="ltr">It also comes as Andrew’s attempts to salvage his public image continue after he was accused of raping Virginia Giuffre during the period of time when she was a victim of Epstein. Two <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/five-key-details-in-prince-andrew-s-statement-after-settlement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">weeks before the case was due to begin</a> in federal court, the prince settled the case with a reported payment of $US 12 million ($AU 19.2 million).</p> <p dir="ltr">Though Maxwell refused to deny allegations she was in a relationship with Andrew, she now claims that one of the biggest pieces of evidence used against him is fake.</p> <p dir="ltr">The socialite claimed the infamous image of Andrew with his arm around Giuffre, with Maxwell in the background, was forged and that the “original one” has never been produced.</p> <p dir="ltr">"This photo is not real," Maxwell said of the photo reportedly taken at her London home in March 2001.</p> <p dir="ltr">"There was never an original one produced." </p> <p dir="ltr">According to the <em>Sun</em>, Maxwell wouldn’t speak further on Giuffre, telling Barak: “I don’t even want to start talking about Virginia.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Maxwell’s new claims go against what she has previously said about the image, including a 2015 email where Epstein’s lawyer asked her whether it was real to which she replied: “It looks real. I think it is.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When Barak questioned her about these claims, Maxwell said she had intended to say she recognised the interiors of her house.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don't recognise that picture and I don't believe it is a real picture,” Maxwell said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“... But I have come to discover that image I don’t believe is true. And the original has never been produced because it doesn’t exist. I don’t believe that image is a true image.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When asked to explain her response to Epstein’s lawyer, Maxwell it didn’t occur to her at the time that the image could have been created by someone.</p> <p dir="ltr">"If you see a photograph and it's a photograph of you in your home, and someone says to you, 'is that a picture of you?' So you don't question," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“[It] would never occur to me … that somebody would have created a photograph or, you know, done something with a picture … I recognised the surroundings of that photograph, nothing more than that.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The 60-year-old went on to claim that there were “over 50 problems with the picture” that led her to believe it was fake.</p> <p dir="ltr">When asked about reports she was romantically involved with the prince, Maxwell said she had heard “so many monstrous inaccuracies” about what happened.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I have read and seen and heard and had reported to me so many monstrous inaccuracies that I can't even start to pick apart all of them,” she said, adding that she would be “super-happy” to address them with Barak after her appeal.</p> <p dir="ltr">Maxwell also spoke about the possibility her friendship with Andrew could continue in the future.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don't have an expectation. People who I have been friends with — and very close friends with … I can't think about what they will want to do or not do,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em><strong>If you or someone you know is affected by issues in this article, there is support available. You can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, or Blue Knot on 1300 657 380 for support relating to sexual abuse.</strong></em></p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-7a97000c-7fff-5592-ffbb-45f81c310597"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: US Department of Justice</em></p>

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Prince Andrew working on amends following sexual abuse allegations

<p dir="ltr">Prince Andrew is reportedly working on making amends following allegations he sexually abused a teenager. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Duke of York, 62, was accused by Virginia Giuffre, 38, of sexually assaulting her on three occasions when she was 17 at Ghislaine Maxwell's home in London, in Epstein's mansion in New York and on Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands.</p> <p dir="ltr">The pair reached an out-of-court settlement of £12 million with Prince Andrew now looking to make amends according to the ​​Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Archbishop said society has become “very unforgiving” and that we should take a step back and see that the Duke of York is looking to make improvements. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Forgiveness really does matter. I think we have become a very, very unforgiving society. There's a difference between consequences and forgiveness,” Reverend Justin said in an interview on ITV.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think for all of us, one of the ways that we celebrate when we come together is in learning to be a more open and forgiving society. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Now with Prince Andrew, I think we all have to step back a bit. He's seeking to make amends and I think that's a very good thing. </p> <p dir="ltr">“But you can't tell people how they're supposed to respond about this. And the issues of the past in the area of abuse are so intensely personal and private for so many people. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It's not surprising. There's very deep feelings, indeed.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The Archbishop also defended the Queen’s decision to walk with Prince Andrew at Prince Philip’s memorial service in March, saying she was “fully entitled” to do so.</p> <p dir="ltr">He however received backlash for his comments, forcing him to backtrack and release a statement clarifying what he meant about consequences and forgiveness.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was asked a question about forgiveness, and I said that there is a difference between consequences and forgiveness,” the statement read. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Both are essential elements of the Christian understanding of justice, mercy and reconciliation.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I also made the broader point that I hope we can become a more forgiving society. These are complex issues that are difficult to address in a short media interview and I hope they do not distract from this week's joyful celebration of Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty </em></p>

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Five key details in Prince Andrew’s statement after settlement

<p><em>Content warning: This article mentions child abuse and sexual assault.</em></p><p dir="ltr">After <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/prince-andrew-s-latest-claims-in-lawsuit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">multiple attempts</a> to dismiss the case, Prince Andrew has announced that he has reached a settlement with the woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her.</p><p dir="ltr">The royal <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/royals/five-bombshells-from-prince-andrews-statement-after-court-settlement/news-story/799f5025889e415519cef01530fb0467" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced the settlement</a> in a joint letter with Virgina Roberts Guiffre just weeks before he was due to appear in court and face top US lawyers.</p><p dir="ltr">Andrew was preparing for a gruelling two-day deposition - where he was expected to be questioned about his personal life by Ms Guiffre’s lawyers at a “neutral” location - according to reports from <em>The Sun</em>.</p><p dir="ltr">“Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out-of-court settlement,” the document submitted to a New York Court reads.</p><p dir="ltr">“The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms Giuffre’s receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed).”</p><p dir="ltr">Through the joint statement, there are five key details to takeaway from the case.</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Regret of smears</strong></p><p dir="ltr">The statement said the prince “never intended to malign Ms Giuffre’s character”, in what seems to be an acknowledgement from the Prince’s legal team that they made a mistake in demanding to see Ms Giuffre’s mental health records.</p><p dir="ltr">They claimed she “may suffer from false memories”, prompting accusations from Dr Charlotte Proudman, a barrister and academic specialising in violence against women, that the Prince was “gaslighting”</p><p dir="ltr">They also said they wanted to examine any confidential notes taken during her counselling sessions and ask about prescriptions written for her by her doctor.</p><p dir="ltr">It comes as a change of tune from last year, when a statement issued by his lawyers in October <a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a39093228/prince-andrew-reaches-financial-settlement-virginia-giuffre/">accused</a> Ms Giuffre of using the lawsuit “to achieve another payday at (Prince Andrew’s) expense and at the expense of those closest to him”.</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Acknowledging her as a victim</strong></p><p dir="ltr">The statement also acknowledged that Ms Giuffre “suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks”.</p><p dir="ltr">Though this is the first time he is believed to have recognised her as a victim of abuse at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein, he has not acknowledged claims he abused her.</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Associations with Epstein</strong></p><p dir="ltr">Andrew’s lawyers noted his regret in associating with Epstein in the statement, and also comes as a U-turn on his position in November 2019.</p><p dir="ltr">In a 2019 interview with Newsnight,  he said he didn’t regret his friendship with the convicted paedophile because the connections and opportunities he gained through their friendship “were actually very useful”.</p><p dir="ltr">“It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years,” the statement continued.</p><p dir="ltr">“Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others.”</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Unknown settlement</strong></p><p dir="ltr">Though there are <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/royals/prince-andrew-settles-sex-abuse-lawsuit-with-virginia-giuffre-roberts/news-story/138571ac7b06c28a048f2926b9e5a1cc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speculations</a> that the final sum will total up to £14 million ($AUD 26.5 or $NZD 28.55 million), the statement says the figure will not be disclosed.</p><p dir="ltr">“Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights,” the letter read.</p><p dir="ltr">It is unknown whether Mrs Guiffre will personally receive any money from the settlement.</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Vows to “demonstrate regret”</strong></p><p dir="ltr">The statement claims that the prince “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”.</p><p dir="ltr">It is still unknown what actions Andrew intends to take to combat sex trafficking, but it is likely his actions will be performed as a private citizen after he was <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/royal-family-strips-prince-andrew-of-all-royal-patronages-and-military-titles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stripped of his royal titles</a> earlier this year.</p><p> </p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Secret court papers revealed in Prince Andrew case

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A secret legal settlement between Virginia Giuffre and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/sunrise/on-the-show/giuffre-epstein-agreement-made-public-c-5175529" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">has been made public</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, as Prince Andrew attempts to dismiss Giuffre’s lawsuit against him.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Court papers, which have been sealed since 2009, revealed that Giuffre received $USD 500,000 ($AUD 694,796) from Epstein, who she claims trafficked and abused her.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The royal filed the settlement as part of an attempt to dismiss Giuffre’s case against him, in which she alleged he sexually assaulted her three times when she was 17. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In her lawsuit, Giuffre accused Andrew of abusing her at two of his homes, as well as forcing her to have sex at the London home of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/30/ghislaine-maxwell-what-happens-next-charges-sentencing" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">recently convicted</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of five charges including recruiting and grooming teenage girls and sex trafficking a minor.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied the allegations, and has </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/prince-andrew-s-latest-claims-in-lawsuit" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">previously moved to dismiss the lawsuit</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> by claiming it was “unconstitutional” under the Child Victims’ Act, since Giuffre was above New York’s age of consent at the time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He also attempted to block proceedings on the grounds that Giuffre was no longer a US citizen three days before the settlement was released. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, a federal judge rejected the claims and ordered his lawyers to turn over key legal documents.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With the release of Giuffre’s settlement, the prince’s legal team argue that the agreement shields him from liability due to provisions that prevent her from taking legal action against “any other person or entity” who could have been a defendant.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">NEW: A 2009 settlement agreement between Epstein and <a href="https://twitter.com/VRSVirginia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VRSVirginia</a> for $500k has been unsealed. Prince Andrew's lawyer's hope a clause in it (which says "potential defendants" in lawsuits brought by Giuffre are protected from liability) will see her sexual abuse lawsuit dismissed. <a href="https://t.co/750Iv5q4vh">pic.twitter.com/750Iv5q4vh</a></p> — Omid Scobie (@scobie) <a href="https://twitter.com/scobie/status/1478052106061836288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The document states that once Giuffre, referred to by her maiden name, received the funds that she agreed to “remise, release, acquit, satisfy and forever discharge the said second parties and any other from all, and all manner of, action and actions of Virginia Roberts, including state or federal, cause and causes of action”. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though Andrew was not mentioned in the document, his attorneys said the settlement released him from liability.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Giuffre settled her sex-traffickinig and sexual-abuse claims against Epstein in 2009,” his lawyers said in a court filing on October 29. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In doing so, she provided Epstein with a general release of all claims against him and numerous other individuals and entities.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“To avoid being dragged into future legal disputes, Epstein negotiated for this broad release, insisting that it cover any and all persons who Giuffre identified as potential targets of future lawsuits, regardless of merit - or lack thereof - to any such claims.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrinceAndrew?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PrinceAndrew</a>'s legal team is arguing that bc <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JeffreyEpstein?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JeffreyEpstein</a> paid a settlement to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VirginiaGiuffre?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VirginiaGiuffre</a>, she can't pursue him for his alleged sexual assault crimes against her. That sounds like "Yes I did it, but my friend Jeffrey paid the girl."</p> — Peter Murphy (@PeterWMurphy1) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterWMurphy1/status/1478076434308427777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They argued that Andrew’s status as a “senior member of the British royal family” meant he belonged to “one of the expressly identified categories of persons” who were “released from liability under the release agreement”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“As a third-party beneficiary of the release agreement, Prince Andrew is entitled to enforce the general release contained therein.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A representative for Giuffre’s lawyers said the document’s release was “irrelevant to Ms Giuffre’s claim against Prince Andrew” as it doesn’t mention him, as reported by </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/03/jeffrey-epstein-prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Guardian</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He did not even know about it. He could not have been a ‘potential defendant’ in the settled case against Jeffrey Epstein both because he was not subject to jurisdiction in Florida and because the Florida case involved federal claims to which he was not a part,” the representative said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The actual parties to the release have made clear that Prince Andrew was not covered by it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Lastly, the reason we sought to have the release made public was to refute the claims being made about it by Prince Andrew’s PR campaign.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andrew’s legal team will argue for the dismissal on Tuesday in New York, where US District Judge Lewis Kaplan will decide whether Giuffre will be blocked from suing the prince.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p>

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Prince Andrew's latest claims in lawsuit

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Content warning: This article mentions child sexual abuse , which may be distressing to some readers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prince Andrew has asked a judge to dismiss a sexual assault lawsuit laid against him by Virginia Giuffre, claiming she was over the age of consent.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Giuffre </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/the-powerful-and-rich-are-not-exempt-prince-andrew-sued-over-alleged-sexual-assault" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">filed the lawsuit</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in New York in August and alleges the Duke of York sexually assaulted her three times when she was 17.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She filed her case under the New York Child Victims’ Act, which allows victims of childhood sexual abuse aged 55 years or younger to sue their alleged abusers if they were under 18 when it occurred.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, documents logged by Prince Andrew’s lead lawyer Andrew Brettler call for the suit to be dismissed or for Ms Giuffre to provide a “more definitive statement”. The filing makes several claims, including that her case is barred by an agreement she signed with Epstein in 2009, that the Child Victims’ Act is “unconstitutional”, and that her claims are “ambiguous at best and unintelligible at worst”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a section relating to the Child Victims’ Act, the royal’s lawyers </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a38527448/prince-andrew-legal-filing-virginia-guiffre/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> it is “not a reasonable mechanism to address the injustice of child sexual abuse in New York” because it classifies children under the age of 18 as minors “even though the age of consent in New York is 17”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“While lack of consent is established as a matter of law for individuals who were under the age of seventeen at the time of the alleged underlying sexual offense, the issue of consent is unsettled with regard to those - like Giuffre - who were between the ages of seventeen and eighteen,” the filing reads.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though the age of consent in New York is 17, an individual is only </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.findlaw.com/state/new-york-law/new-york-legal-ages-laws.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">considered</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> a “legal adult” when they turn 18, meaning a 17-year-old is still considered to be a minor. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Those aged between 17 and 18 can also </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7552472/princes-lawyer-demands-sex-case-dismissal/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">establish a "lack of consent"</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> through "implied threat", as Ms Giuffre has.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prince Andrew’s lawyers also claimed Ms Giuffre’s claims of a lack of consent by “implied threats” needs to be established, though there are no third parties who can testify to the abuse.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Here, the only witnesses to the purported implied threats under which Giuffre allegedly engaged in unconsented sex acts with Prince Andrew are Epstein (deceased), Maxwell (incarcerated), Prince Andrew (the accused) and Ms Giuffre herself,” his lawyers </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/royals/prince-andrews-lawyers-argue-virginia-roberts-giuffre-was-above-the-age-of-consent/news-story/eebb246423c29bc828e4ed77a9226821" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Last month, Ms Giuffre’s lawyers accused the prince of “victim shaming” and using her to “gratify his own sexual desires”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In response, Mr Brettler said Ms Giuffre’s claims were “vague” because she provided different versions of events.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Giuffre’s refusal to include anything but the most conclusory allegations is puzzling given her pattern of disclosing to the media the purported details of the same allegations,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Perhaps it is Giuffre’s tendency to change her story that prompted her to keep the allegations of the Complaint vague, so as not to commit to any specific account.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, Ms Giuffre stood by her claims.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Her legal team confirmed they had issued the prince with a writ ahead of his pre-trial due to start in New York next month.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Royal sources have claimed the royal has been “totally consumed” by the case, as he told his legal team last week to cancel their Christmas plans and said they must leave “no stone unturned”.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p>

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Fergie and Prince Andrew may say "I do AGAIN"

<p>It’s been reported Prince Andrew wants to say “I do” again with his ex and the mother of his children – Sarah Ferguson – 25 years after they divorced.</p> <p>But first he’ll have to survive the sex-assault lawsuit which was filed against him this week by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who claims she was forced to have sex with the prince three times – beginning when she was 17.</p> <p>These charges relate to incidents two decades ago, when the complainant says she was also being abused by the financier Jeffrey Epstein, according to a court filing.</p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/afd84d77024a4d8d9f68a0c684ed6656" /><img style="width: 500px; height: 282.0284697508897px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844078/fergie-and-prince-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/afd84d77024a4d8d9f68a0c684ed6656" /></p> <p>These accusations from Roberts Giuffre have come to light earlier but have only just been confirmed in this lawsuit. As a result, Prince Andrew has been relieved of his royal duties.</p> <p>Fergie has continued to defend him in the face of these accusations and Prince Andrew denies all of the allegations. It’s thought the support of Fergie in this situation, is one of the factors which has brought the royal couple closer.</p> <p><strong><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/64b0995bdb4c4a46a8e50ae88de86048" /><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.43418467583496px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844079/fergie-and-andrew-later-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/64b0995bdb4c4a46a8e50ae88de86048" /></strong></p> <p><strong>Royal romance rekindled during COVID lockdown</strong></p> <p>After being divorced in 1996, Prince Andrew and Fergie have apparently rekindled their romance during the COVID pandemic and have even been living together at the Royal Lodge, sources told <em>Vanity Fair</em> magazine.</p> <p>One source added: “It has rekindled something and I can see a second wedding happening if it all goes Andrew’s way.”</p> <p>Fergie recently told <em>Polsat News</em> she still lives by her vows from her 1986 marriage, even though the couple divorced in 1996.</p> <p>“I keep my commitment, no matter what,” the Duchess of York said.</p> <p>Last month Fergie told WSFM’s <em>Jonesy and Amanda</em> that her wedding to Prince Andrew at Westminster Abbey was “the greatest moment of my life”.</p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/6b9bbac31b6247e6976725a5efc333d2" /><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.437125748503px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844080/fergie-andrew-wedding-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/6b9bbac31b6247e6976725a5efc333d2" /></p> <p>“I had my handsome Prince, he’s also a sailor, he had a sword, I mean you couldn’t write it could you, it was a fairy tale,” she said.</p> <p>“It was a great love story and I guess that’s why we’re best friends now. It was just really extraordinary,” she added.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images and Twitter</em></p>

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Guide to the classics: A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf’s feminist call to arms

<p>I sit at my kitchen table to write this essay, as hundreds of thousands of women have done before me. It is not my own room, but such things are still a luxury for most women today. The table will do. I am fortunate I can make a living “by my wits,” as Virginia Woolf puts it in her famous feminist treatise, A Room of One’s Own (1929).</p> <p>That living enabled me to buy not only the room, but the house in which I sit at this table. It also enables me to pay for safe, reliable childcare so I can have time to write.<br />It is as true today, therefore, as it was almost a century ago when Woolf wrote it, that “a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction” — indeed, write anything at all.</p> <p>Still, Woolf’s argument, as powerful and influential as it was then — and continues to be — is limited by certain assumptions when considered from a contemporary feminist perspective.</p> <p>Woolf’s book-length essay began as a series of lectures delivered to female students at the University of Cambridge in 1928. Its central feminist premise — that women writer’s voices have been silenced through history and they need to fight for economic equality to be fully heard — has become so culturally pervasive as to enter the popular lexicon.</p> <p>Julia Gillard’s A Podcast of One’s Own, takes its lead from the essay, as does Anonymous Was a Woman, a prominent arts funding body based in New York.</p> <p>Even the Bechdel-Wallace test, measuring the success of a narrative according to whether it features at least two named women conversing about something other than a man, can be seen to descend from the “Chloe liked Olivia” section of Woolf’s book. In this section, the hypothetical characters of Chloe and Olivia share a laboratory, care for their children, and have conversations about their work, rather than about a man.</p> <p>Woolf’s identification of women as a poorly paid underclass still holds relevance today, given the gender pay gap. As does her emphasis on the hierarchy of value placed on men’s writing compared to women’s (which has led to the establishment of awards such as the Stella Prize).</p> <p><strong>Invisible women</strong><br />In her book, Woolf surveys the history of literature, identifying a range of important and forgotten women writers, including novelists Jane Austen, George Eliot and the Brontes, and playwright Aphra Behn.</p> <p>In doing so, she establishes a new model of literary heritage that acknowledges not only those women who succeeded, but those who were made invisible: either prevented from working due to their sex, or simply cast aside by the value systems of patriarchal culture.</p> <p>To illustrate her point, she creates Judith, an imaginary sister of the playwright Shakespeare.<br />What if such a woman had shared her brother’s talents and was as adventurous, “as agog to see the world” as he was? Would she have had the freedom, support and confidence to write plays? Tragically, she argues, such a woman would likely have been silenced — ultimately choosing suicide over an unfulfilled life of domestic servitude and abuse.<br />In her short, passionate book, Woolf examines women’s letter writing, showing how it can illustrate women’s aptitude for writing, yet also the way in which women were cramped and suppressed by social expectations.</p> <p>She also makes clear that the lack of an identifiable matrilineal literary heritage works to impede women’s ability to write.</p> <p>Indeed, the establishment of those major women writers in the 18th and 19th centuries (George Eliot, the Brontes et al), when “the middle-class woman began to write” is, Woolf argues, a moment in history “of greater importance than the Crusades or the War of the Roses”.</p> <p>Male critics such as T.S. Eliot and Harold Bloom have identified a (male) writer’s relation to his precursors as necessary for his own literary production. But how, Woolf asks, is a woman to write if she has no model to look back on or respond to? If we are women, she wrote, “we think back through our mothers”.</p> <p>Her argument inspired later feminist revisionist work of literary critics like Elaine Showalter, Sandra K. Gilbert and Susan Gubar who sought to restore the reputation of forgotten women writers and turn critical attention to women’s writing as a field worthy of dedicated study.</p> <p>All too often in history, Woolf asserts, “Woman” is simply the object of the literary text — either the adored, voiceless beauty to whom the sonnet is dedicated or reflecting back the glow of man himself.</p> <p><em>Women have served all these centuries as looking-glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of man at twice its natural size.</em></p> <p>A Room of One’s Own returns that authority to both the woman writer and the imagined female reader whom she addresses.</p> <p><strong>Stream of consciousness</strong></p> <p>A Room of One’s Own also demonstrates several aspects of Woolf’s modernism. The early sections demonstrate her virtuoso stream of consciousness technique. She ruminates on women’s position in, and relation to, fiction while wandering through the university campus, driving through country lanes, and dawdling over a leisurely, solo lunch.</p> <p>Critically, she employs telling patriarchal interruptions to that flow of thought.<br />A beadle waves his arms in exasperation as she walks on a private patch of grass. A less-than-satisfactory dinner is served to the women’s college. A “deprecating, silvery, kindly gentleman” turns her away from the library. These interruptions show the frequent disruption to the work of a woman without a room.</p> <p>This is the lesson also imparted in Woolf’s 1927 novel To the Lighthouse where artist Lily Briscoe must shed the overbearing influence of Mr and Mrs Ramsay, a couple who symbolise Victorian culture, if she is to “have her vision”. The flights and flow of modernist technique are not possible without the time and space to write and think for herself.<br />A Room of One’s Own has been crucial to the feminist movement and women’s literary studies. But it is not without problems. Woolf admits her good fortune in inheriting £500 a year from an aunt.<br />Indeed her purse now “breed(s) ten-shilling notes automatically”.</p> <p>Part of the purpose of the essay is to encourage women to make their living through writing.</p> <p>But Woolf seems to lack an awareness of her own privilege and how much harder it is for most women to fund their own artistic freedom. It is easy for her to advise against “doing work that one did not wish to do, and to do it like a slave, flattering and fawning”.</p> <p>In her book, Woolf also criticises the “awkward break” in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre (1847), in which Bronte’s own voice interrupts the narrator’s in a passionate protest against the treatment of women.</p> <p>Here, Woolf shows little tolerance for emotion, which has historically often been dismissed as hysteria when it comes to women discussing politics.</p> <p>A Room of One’s Own ends with an injunction to work for the coming of Shakespeare’s sister, that woman forgotten by history. “So to work, even in poverty and obscurity, is worthwhile”.</p> <p>Such a woman author must have her vision, even if her work will be “stored in attics” rather than publicly exhibited.<br />The room and the money are the ideal, we come to see, but even without them the woman writer must write, must think, in anticipation of a future for her daughter-artists to come.</p> <p><em>An adaptation of </em><a href="https://belvoir.com.au/productions/a-room-of-ones-own/#CjnymqycvMw"><em>A Room of One’s Own</em></a><em> is currently at Sydney’s Belvoir Theatre. This article appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/guide-to-the-classics-a-room-of-ones-own-virginia-woolfs-feminist-call-to-arms-145398">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

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"Not good enough": Lisa Wilkinson slams royal family over Prince Andrew saga

<p>Lisa Wilkinson had the opportunity to question the close friend of Ghislaine Maxwell on <em>The Sunday Project</em> following the British socialites arrest last week.</p> <p><br />Former New York stockbroker Laura Goldman says Ms. Maxwell was a victim herself.<span> </span><br /><br />“She was in love with Jeffrey Epstein,”Ms. Goldman claimed.<span> </span><br /><br />“It doesn’t excuse what she did. She really thought that he would marry her. I feel in some ways he gaslit her.<br /><br />“He kind of convinced her that he was going to do it at some point and then never did. She didn’t see it and kept thinking, if I do one more thing for him, he will marry me. She was also a victim of Jeffrey. You can be a predator and a victim.”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7836801/ghislaine.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/7e4814e9d81b4ebeb89b89f1c30fde72" /><br /><br />Asked whether that excused Ms Maxwell allegedly creating dozens of more victims, whose lives were ruined, Ms Goldman said: “There’s no excuse, absolutely no excuse. I have no problem with her going to jail. My whole point is, though, that the story is more complicated.”<br /><br />Wilkinson also delved into the pressure mounting on Prince Andrew as he remains in the UK, refusing to cooperate with law enforcement.<span> </span><br /><br />According to Ms Goldman, who Wilkinson said had a “chequered past”, Ms Maxwell was “very loyal” to Prince Andrew and would never reveal anything incriminating about him.<br /><br />“She feels very loyal to him, he helped her after her father died. He helped launch her in New York society. And (for) that she will never betray him. I also think she’s not sure he did anything wrong. Not saying she didn’t. I think she feels he’s been a victim in this, too.”<br /><br />Wilkinson took direct aim at Prince Andrew for failing to cooperate with prosecutors, and for using Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as scapegoats to minimise alleged sexual abuse allegations against the Queen’s son.<span> </span><br /><br />“This story will simply not go away,” said Wilkinson.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7836800/ghislaine-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b8767e27130d4707ac477ad01c600296" /><br /><br />“As of Friday, the woman accused of providing Jeffrey Epstein with underaged girls, is in custody and with Epstein’s death, Ghislaine Maxwell may be the only one alive who knows all the secrets.<br /><br />“If Laura Goldman is right and Maxwell doesn’t give up information on Prince Andrew, then it’s up to the Queen’s second son to do so himself.<br /><br />“Not likely, given Andrew claims he doesn’t even remember meeting Virginia, even casting doubt over photograph figure evidence.”<br /><br />Prince Andrew has claimed that the photo of himself, Ms Maxwell and a teenage Virginia Giuffre could have been doctored. During a “trainwreck” interview with <em>BBC’s Newsnight</em>, the Royal firmly denied he had ever met Ms. Giuffre, and claimed he had “no recollection” of ever meeting her.<br /><br />He also claimed that on the night when Ms Giuffre has alleged she was forced to have sex with him, he was actually at a Pizza Express restaurant in Woking, Surrey for his daughter’s birthday.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7836799/ghislaine-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c7b8e84b33c94f47bdd0935f5ff2500c" /><br /><br />“Sadly, we will never know if that is true, because days after that interview, the police denied a freedom of information request that could have confirmed this, or not,” Wilkinson said.<br /><br />“What we do know is authorities are eager to speak to him.<br /><br />“That’s why it is now up to the palace to push for Andrew to front up unconditionally.”<br /><br />In a statement issued last December, Buckingham Palace said: “It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts. Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation.”<br /><br />The Palace has now stopped responding to requests for comment on the Epstein scandal.<br /><br />Wilkinson finished her powerful statement on <em>The Sunday Project</em> by saying: “So, who do we believe?“<span> </span><br /><br />“Well, as long as Andrew remains under palace protection, we will never know. By any standard, that is simply not good enough.<br /><br />“For 68 years, the Queen has demonstrated herself to be someone who chooses duty over family. The greater good over personal interests.<br /><br />“Surely in 2020, for Her Majesty and the royal family to retain any authority and respect, if she believes child sex slavery is a scourge that needs to be eradicated, and has any empathy for the dozens of victims of Jeffrey Epstein, then she simply has no option but to compel Andrew to fully co-operate with authorities.<br /><br />“To quote former Australian of the Year, David Morrison: ‘The standard you walk past is the standard you accept.’”<br /><br />On Thursday, Ms Maxwell faced a New York City judge remotely.<br /><br />Prosecutors accused her of building a rapport with girls as young as 14, then helping Epstein to sexually exploit them.<br /><br />It is alleged she sometimes also took part in the abuse herself.</p>

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"No way back": How the confrontation between Prince Charles and Prince Andrew played out

<p>It appears that the Prince of Wales has had enough of the intense public scrutiny that surrounds his brother Prince Andrew and has “read him the riot act”.</p> <p>Virginia Giuffre piled on the pressure in her<span> </span><em>Panorama</em><span> </span>interview, where she alleged that Prince Andrew had sex with her when she was 17, which are allegations the Duke of York firmly denies.</p> <p>A royal insider told<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10479374/prince-charles-prince-andrew-sandringham-showdown/" target="_blank">The Sun</a></em><span> </span>about how the confrontation went down between the two brothers.</p> <p>“It was all very civilised and calm, but Charles calmly read him the riot act and told him there was no way back for him in the near future,” they said.</p> <p>“Andrew thought he was being treated harshly as nothing has yet been proved against him, but he accepted the decision. He really had little choice.”</p> <p> The Prince of Wales is said to be deeply worried about the scandal and the impact its having on the monarchy.</p> <p>Options being explored include Prince Andrew going to the US to clear his name, but Prince Charles is hesitant to let that happen.</p> <p>“By doing that, Andrew would remove the mystery around the royal ­family. It’s a difficult predicament.</p> <p>“Philip regrets Andrew doesn’t know how to lead a simple life. He thinks he’s been too extravagant.”</p> <p>This comes after fresh claims that a woman who does not wish to be named approached US lawyer Lisa Bloom about seeing Prince Andrew at the nightclub Tramps with a fresh-faced Virginia Giuffre.</p> <p>Bloom told<span> </span><em>The Sun<span> </span></em>about the woman’s claims.</p> <p>“The woman remembers it vividly. She had never seen a royal before or since. It was a very big moment for her — she stared at him.</p> <p>“She says he was with Virginia — who looked very young and not happy — but Andrew was smiling and seemed to be very much enjoying himself on the dancefloor.</p> <p>“She is very afraid but thinks speaking out is very important.”</p>

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New damning images of Prince Andrew with Jeffrey Epstein and girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell

<p>Damning new images show Prince Andrew alongside Jeffrey Epstein and “madam” Ghislaine Maxwell at the Ascot races in 2000.</p> <p>The discovery was shown on the BBC program<span> </span>Panorama<span> </span>as Virginia Giuffre shared details of how she allegedly had sex with Prince Andrew three times in 2001 and 2002 when she was just 17 years old.</p> <p>The photos show the trio wearing fancy racewear and hats, laughing and smiling at the event.</p> <p>The outing was at a time where Prince Andrew claimed that he was seeing Epstein once or twice a year.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7833003/body-andrew.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/16bba459eef34179adc01ec1d753136a" /></p> <p>Prince Andrew had been introduced to Epstein months earlier by Maxwell, and the couple attended Windsor Castle for the Prince’s 40th birthday.</p> <p>Prince Andrew has constantly denied the allegations from Giuffre and hasn’t been seen in public since Epstein’s death, which was ruled as a suicide.</p> <p><strong>Bombshell emails uncovered in Panorama documentary</strong></p> <p>In the BBC documentary, emails between Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell were uncovered and have thrown doubt on his claims that he did not recall meeting Virginia Giuffre in 2001.</p> <p>Giuffre alleges that she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein and was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew.</p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CYTrKvQI0sQ"></iframe></div> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"> <p>An email that was aired on Panorama after being found buried in thousands of pages of legal documents shows that Maxwell and Prince Andrew discussed Guiffre at one point in 2015.</p> <p>“Let me know when we can talk. Got some specific questions to ask you about Virginia Roberts,” Prince Andrew wrote to Maxwell.</p> <p>She replies: “Have some info – call me when you have a moment.”</p> <p>Panorama<span> </span>reported that three days letter, Prince Andrew was sent a “dossier of inconsistences and inaccuracies in articles” about Giuffre.</p> <p><strong>Virginia Giuffre recalls night she was given order to have sex with Queen’s son</strong></p> <p>The documentary included an interview with Giuffre, who recalled the night she met Prince Andrew as they went to a nightclub.</p> <p>“It was horrible, and this guy was sweating all over me, I mean his sweat … it was raining, basically, everywhere … and I was just grossed out from it,” she said.</p> <p>“But I knew I had to keep him happy because that’s what Jeffrey (Epstein) and Ghislaine (Maxwell) would expect from me.”</p> <p>She also explained that it was in the car ride to Maxwell’s London home that she was told to have sex with Prince Andrew.</p> <p>“In the car, Ghislaine tells me that I have to do for Andrew what I do for Jeffrey — and that just made me sick,” she told the BBC.</p> <p>“I just didn’t expect it from royalty. I didn’t expect it from someone people look up to and admire in the royal family.”</p> <p>Giuffree goes into explicit detail of the night that she alleges she was made to have sex with Prince Andrew.</p> <p>“It was disgusting. He wasn’t mean or anything,” she said.</p> <p>“He got up and he said ‘thanks’ and walked out and I just sat there in bed, just horrified and ashamed and felt dirty and had to get up and have a shower,” she explained.</p> <p>Giuffre also explained the impact that having sex with the Queen’s son had on her mental health.</p> <p>“It was a wicked time in my life, it was a really scary time. I had just been abused by a member of a royal family — so when you talk about these chains, yeah, I wasn’t chained to the sink, but these powerful people were my chains. I didn’t know what could happen.</p> <p>“I couldn’t comprehend how in the highest levels of the government, powerful people were allowing this to happen. Not only allowing it to happen but participating in it.”</p> <p><strong>Prince Andrew declines to answer questions from BBC</strong></p> <p>The documentary explained that the BBC reached out with detailed questions to Prince Andrew, but he declined to answer. However, a statement was provided to the organisation.</p> <p>“The Duke of York unequivocally regrets his ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein’s suicide left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims,” the statement said.</p> <p>“The duke deeply sympathises with those affected who want some form of closure.</p> <p>“It is his hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives. The duke is willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required.”</p> </div>

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Prince Andrew’s alleged victim living lowkey in Australia

<p>The woman embroiled in one of the biggest sex scandals to have rocked the royal family in decades is reportedly living a well-to-do life in a gated community in Cairns, Queensland. </p> <p>When she was just 17, Virginia Roberts, now known as Virginia Giuffre, was photographed alongside Prince Andrew - an image believed to be taken in the Belgravia terrace of Epstein’s then-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell in 2001. </p> <p>The seemingly innocent snap has become the defining image of the long-running drama that led to Prince Andrew being forced to take a step back from his royal duties and public life for the “foreseeable future”.</p> <p>Virginia claims now at 36-years-old she was recruited as an underage sex slave and forced to engage in sexual activities with Prince Andrew three times between 1999 and 2002. </p> <p>The Duke of York has vehemently denied claims he had sex with the then-teenager, and also says he doesn’t remember meeting her. </p> <p>Jeffrey Epstein, 66, was found dead in his New York jail cell in August while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.</p> <p>Now, Virginia is set to share her side of the story <em>BBC’s</em> Panorama programme that was filmed before Prince Andrew’s Newsnight interview went to air. </p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7832789/image.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/cddad4a17b9d4ae18b61625344d3e846" /></p> <p>Despite being apart of one of the most highly publicised alleged sex trafficking cases in the world, Mrs Giuffre has managed to live a relatively peaceful life in a quiet community in Cairns, with her husband Robert and their three children. </p> <p>Since her name and pictures made headlines around the world for having a connection with both Epstein and royalty, Virginia has been photographed out shopping or on school runs in Cairns. </p> <p>Locals in the area have described both she and her husband as “lovely.”</p> <p>“They’re both lovely, especially her,” a bartender at a local pub told<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.womansday.com/" target="_blank"><em>Woman’s Day.</em> </a></p> <p>“I can’t believe she’s involved with all that. It just goes to show that you never know anything about people.”</p> <p>Mrs Giuffre claims she was recruited by Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s girlfriend in 2001, at the age of 15 while working at the Mar-a-Lago spa in Florida.</p> <p>She claims the pair allegedly took her on a trip to New York, where they trained her to be “everything a man wanted me to be”.</p> <p>“Over the next few weeks, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell trained me to do what they wanted, including sexual activities and the use of sexual toys,” she alleged in the documents.</p> <p>“The training was in New York and Florida, at Epstein’s mansions. It was basically every day and was like going to school. I also had to have sex with Epstein many times.”</p> <p>Mrs Giuffre is just one of a few alleged victims who have come forward and claimed she was used by Epstein for sexual purposes until she turned 19, and consequently became “too old” for him.</p> <p>The court papers allege during those years she was taken on trips around the world and given to men for sexual purposes.</p> <p>Mrs Giuffre claims she met Prince Andrew, a friend of Epstein’s, in London in 2001 when she was 17. </p> <p>The infamous photo of both Prince Andrew and Virginia is believed to have been taken in Belgravia, London at the home of Ghislaine Maxwell in 2001. </p> <p>However, the Duke of York said in a recent interview with<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/royals/prince-andrew-reveals-all-about-relationship-with-jeffrey-epstein-in-worldfirst-interview/news-story/0fbbcaced861147882ec90e8ae60d2af" target="_blank"><em>BBC Newsnight</em></a>, he had no recollection with ever meeting her. </p> <p>“I don’t remember meeting her at all. I do not remember the photograph being taken and I’ve said consistently and frequently that we never had any sexual contact whatever,” he said.</p> <p>“I’m at a loss to explain this particular photograph.”</p> <p>The royal further said he did not have sex with Virginia on the night in question, as he was taking his daughter, Princess Beatrice, for pizza. </p> <p>He explaineds during the interview he wasn’t in Tramp nightclub as she alleged and couldn’t have been sweating because he had a medical condition after suffering from adrenalin overload in the Falklands War.</p> <p>Following the death of Jeffrey Epstein, Mrs Giuffre has urged Prince Andrew to “come clean”, and said he needs to “stop with all of these lame excuses”.</p> <p>Close friends of the royal claim the picture was “doctored,” with sources suggesting his fingers look “too chubby” for it to be him. </p> <p>“This photo has been verified as an original and it’s been since given to the FBI and they’ve never contested that it’s a fake. I know it’s real,’ she said.</p> <p>“He needs to stop with all of these lame excuses. We’re sick of hearing it. This is a real photo. That’s the very first time I met him.”</p> <p>A<span> </span><em>BBC</em><span> </span>interview with Mrs Giuffre will air on December 2, where she will lay out her side of the story when it comes to allegations about Prince Andrew.</p>

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“I don’t drink or sweat”: Prince Andrew denies allegations from Epstein’s “sex slave” Virginia Roberts

<p>In a new interview on<span> </span><em>BBC Newsnight</em>, Prince Andrew, 59, has denied that he ever had sex with Jeffrey Epstein’s “sex slave” Virginia Roberts.</p> <p>The Duke of York was grilled by Emily Maitlis during an<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtBS8COhhhM" target="_blank">hour-long show</a></p> <p>, where he continued to deny any allegations, despite there being photographic evidence of Roberts and Prince Andrew together.</p> <p>He maintains that he does not recall meeting Roberts and did not spend time with her at a nightclub in London on March 10 in 2001 where she claims they first had sex.</p> <p>Prince Andrew denies sleeping with her as he was at a pizza party with his daughter Beatrice back in 2001.</p> <p>“I was with the children and I’d taken Beatrice to a Pizza Express in Woking for a party at I suppose sort of 4 or 5 in the afternoon,” Prince Andrew said.</p> <p>“And then because the Duchess was away, we have a simple rule in the family that when one is away the other one is there.</p> <p>“I was on terminal leave at the time from the Royal Navy so therefore I was at home.”</p> <p>Interviewer Maitlis asked why he remembers that specific evening so distinctly.</p> <p>“Because going to Pizza Express in Woking is an unusual thing for me to do, a very unusual thing for me to do.</p> <p>“I’ve only been to Woking a couple of times and I remember it weirdly distinctly.”</p> <p>Roberts described their encounter in 2001 in vivid detail, saying that Prince Andrew had been “sweating” as they danced at the nightclub.</p> <p>However, the Duke of York denied these claims too as he said that he doesn’t sweat.</p> <p>“There’s a slight problem with the sweating because I have a peculiar medical condition which is that I don’t sweat or I didn’t sweat at the time.</p> <p>“I didn’t sweat at the time because I had suffered what I would describe as an overdose of adrenalin in the Falkland’s War when I was shot at and it was almost impossible for me to sweat,” he explained.</p> <p>“And it’s only because I have done a number of things in the recent past that I am starting to be able to do that again. So I’m afraid to say that there’s a medical condition that says that I didn’t do it.”</p> <p>However, when the interviewer asked about that specific photo, Prince Andrew said it was “definitely him”.</p> <p>“Oh it’s definitely me, I mean that’s a picture of me. I don’t believe it’s a picture of me in London because when I go out in London, I wear a suit and a tie,” he said.</p> <p>“That’s what I would describe as my travelling clothes if I’m going to go overseas. There’s plenty of photographs of me dressed in that sort of kit but not there.”</p> <p>Friends close to the Duke of York have said they have doubts about the photo’s legitimacy as the hand around Robert’s waist does “not look right”.</p>

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Wedding bells? Richard Wilkins and Virginia Burmeister update

<p>Christian Wilkins, the son of former<span> </span><em>Today<span> </span></em>host Richard Wilkins has made an exciting revelation about his father. </p> <p>On Thursday, the model revealed his dad might be tying the knot with his long-term girlfriend Virgina Burmeister. </p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/By4kJO5AFNA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/By4kJO5AFNA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by CHRISTIAN WILKINS (@theprincewilkins)</a> on Jun 19, 2019 at 12:59am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“Maybe [they will marry], they are very happy together,” he told the<span> </span><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-7427379/Christian-Wilkins-weighs-father-Richard-marry-girlfriend-Virginia-Burmeister.html"><em>Daily Mail</em></a><span> </span>at the David Jones Spring Summer 2019 event. </p> <p>“I love Virginia and me and my dad are best friends.”</p> <p>The couple went public with their relationship in October 2017 and have since sparked engagement rumours when Richard posted a photo of his girlfriend outside of a Jewelry store while in Europe back in July. </p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzVHUM1nC69/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzVHUM1nC69/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Virginia Burmeister (@virginiaburmeister)</a> on Jun 30, 2019 at 3:05am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Less than a year after their relationship went public, insiders reported Virginia moved in with Richard and sold her manly home she had with her estranged investment banker husband Mark Burmeister.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BH9FoMMgisd/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BH9FoMMgisd/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Richard Wilkins (@richardwilkins)</a> on Jul 17, 2016 at 12:38am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Virginia is a mother to three children. </p> <p>Richard has been married three times and has five children to four different mothers: Adam, 45, Rebecca, 35, Nick, 33, Christian, 23 and Estella, 14. </p>

Relationships

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Colleen McCullough's will update: "On its face it's a lie"

<p>The battle for the estate of best-selling author Colleen McCullough has taken a fresh new twist with a court hearing her husband ‘took a mistress’ just before her death.</p> <p><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>9news.com.au reports</strong></em></span></a> the legal fight between Selwa Anthony, one of Ms McCullough’s best friends and the executor of her will, and the author’s husband, Ric Robinson, is proving to have drama that is worthy of a page turner itself.</p> <p>The author has two disputed wills – one that puts half her $2 million estate to an American University and another that gives everything to Mr Robinson.</p> <p>The solicitor working on the case, Piria Coleman, also added the belief that Dr McCullough was unwell during the essential care meetings and after noting bruising on her arm believed Mr Robinson was controlling the best-selling author.</p> <p>Ms Coleman had reportedly visited the author just weeks before her passing in January 2015, where Dr McCullough reportedly yelled at her to “give him what he wants”.</p> <p>On a later visit to execute the will that would have left everything to Mr Robinson, Ms Coleman noted Dr McCullough seemed “very unwell” and appeared to have heavy bruising.</p> <p>She also said the marks made on the document did not resemble each other.</p> <p>"I took it as evidence she didn't want to sign her name," she said.</p> <p>"I certainly didn't leave understanding that was a fresh will."</p> <p>But defence barrister David Murr SC said she had written a letter the next day referring to, “the updated will”.</p> <p>He asked the solicitor if that letter was a lie.</p> <p>"On its face it's a lie...one needs to read between the lines," Ms Coleman said.</p> <p>When asked why she did not ask Mr Robinson to leave the room, Ms Coleman said "there was an approach at that stage to placate Ric...to try to keep the peace...to keep Col from harm...Those were foremost in my mind on the 24th of October."</p> <p>Ms Coleman's cross-examination is set to resume on Thursday.</p> <p>What are your thoughts?</p> <p> </p> <p> </p>

Legal

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Richard Wilkins looks loved-up in new photo with girlfriend

<p>Last week, <a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2017/10/richard-wilkins-new-love/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">it was revealed</span></strong></a> that TV personality Richard Wilkins, 63, had found love with 50-year-old former dancer (and ex-wife of wealthy Morgan Stanley investment banker Mark Burmeister) Virginia Burmeister. Yesterday, they stepped out to another red carpet appearance, showing their new love is going strong.</p> <p>The attractive couple posed for photos as they arrived at the Youngcare Long Lunch in Sydney, with mother-of-three Virginia looking stunning in a white jumpsuit and father-of-five Richard donning a dapper blue suit.</p> <p><img width="600" height="900" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/44558/457b225700000578-0-image-a-86_1508388176755_600x900.jpg" alt="457B225700000578-0-image -a -86_1508388176755" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Richard is said to be “head over heels” for his new love, with whom he was seen putting on a smitten display at <a href="/entertainment/tv/2017/10/lisa-wilkinson-second-wedding/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Lisa Wilkinson’s vow renewal ceremony</span></strong></a> two weeks ago.</p> <p>The ‘80s heartthrob also posed for photos with the rest of the <em>Today</em> show crew, although Wilkinson, <a href="/news/news/2017/10/lisa-wilkinson-quits-today-show-in-shock-decision/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">who left the program</span></strong></a> earlier this week, was noticeably absent.</p> <p><img width="600" height="444" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/44559/457b1f1c00000578-0-image-a-88_1508388201182_600x444.jpg" alt="457B1F1C00000578-0-image -a -88_1508388201182" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Tell us in the comments below, what do you think of the happy new couple?</p>

Relationships

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Richard Wilkins’ new love revealed

<p>His romantic life has been a source of much speculation over the years, but it seems Richard Wilkins has finally found love again.</p> <p>According to the <a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/today-host-richard-wilkins-is-head-over-heels-for-new-flame-virginia-burmeister/news-story/7a297571e8de9c1fd2c45d33d22e5fe4" target="_blank"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Daily Telegraph</span></em></strong></a>, the 63-year-old TV personality is currently dating Virginia Burmeister, 50, a former Bluebell dancer at Le Lido Paris and estranged wife of “extremely wealthy” Mark Burmeister of Morgan and Stanley.</p> <p>The couple first appeared in public together at the opening night of <em>Beautiful: The Carole King Musical</em> in Sydney.  “They came together and they left together,” an attendee told <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity/todays-lothario-richard-wilkins-goes-public-with-new-relationship-20170926-gyp7lj.html" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Fairfax</span></strong></a> in September. “She didn’t leave his side all night but they were acting a bit coy about having their picture taken together.”</p> <p><img width="499" height="280" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/43972/1506468283858_499x280.jpg" alt="1506468283858" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Image credit: Ken Leanfore/Fairfax.</em></p> <p>The <em>Daily Telegraph</em> report cites tweets on Twitter from Burmeister to Wilkins dating back to February revealing the pair had crossed paths a number of times.</p>

Relationships

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13 of Elizabeth Taylor’s most memorable movie looks

<p>Elizabeth entered the Hollywood scene as a child in the early 1940s and kept audiences mesmerised by her striking blue eyes and emotional performances.</p> <p>Having received two academy awards for best actress for her roles in Butterfield 8 and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Elizabeth Taylor was not only a successful actress but also became a symbol of beauty during the old-Hollywood era.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to look back at Elizabeth Taylor’s most memorable outfits from her movies of the years including A Place in the Sun and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.</p> <p>1. <em>Cleopatra</em>, 1963</p> <p>2. <em>Butterfield 8</em>, 1960</p> <p>3. <em>Little Women</em>, 1949</p> <p>4. <em>Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf!</em>, 1966</p> <p>5. <em>Cat on a Hot Tin Roof</em>, 1958</p> <p>6. <em>Ivanhoe</em>, 1952</p> <p>7. <em>The Taming of the Shrew</em>, 1967</p> <p>8. <em>The V.I.P.s</em>, 1963</p> <p>9. <em>A Place in the Sun</em>, 1951</p> <p>10. <em>Suddenly, Last Summer,</em> 1959</p> <p>11. <em>Father of the Bride</em>, 1950</p> <p>12. <em>Raintree County,</em> 1957</p> <p>13. <em>Giant</em>, 1956</p> <p>What’s your favourite Elizabeth Taylor movie? Let us know in the comments below.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2017/02/devastating-news-for-tom-cruise/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Devastating news for Tom Cruise</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/movies/2017/02/resurfaced-portraits-of-celebrities-from-70s-and-80s/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Stunning resurfaced black and white portraits of actors from the 70s and 80s</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/movies/2017/02/steven-spielberg-not-slowing-down/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>70-year-old Steven Spielberg not slowing down soon</strong></em></span></a></p> <p> </p>

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