Virginia Giuffre, an outspoken survivor of abuse by notorious sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, has died by suicide, NBC News is reporting.

Giuffre was one of the first people to call for criminal charges against Epstein.

She recounted how she was groomed by Ghislaine Maxwell to be sexually abused by Epstein. Giuffre has also accused Epstein of trafficking her to Prince Andrew when she was 17, which the prince has denied.

She was 41 when she died in Neergabby, Australia.

"It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia," Giuffre’s family told NBC News. "She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking."

Virginia was a “fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors," the family’s statement continued. “In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight."

Eerily, Giuffre said late last month that she had only days to live after she was involved in a collision.

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Giuffre’s brother Danny Wilson said his sister “pushed so hard to snuff the evil out” of the world.

"Her biggest push was, 'If I don’t do this, nobody’s going to do it,'" he told NBC News of his sister’s battle for justice. "She was in real physical pain — suffered from renal failure. But I think that the mental pain was worse."

Fellow survivors of Epstein’s abuse credit Giuffre with helping give them the courage to speak out, NBC noted. Giuffre also provided key information to law enforcement that helped prosecutors ultimately convict Maxwell in 2021.

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Epstein faced federal sex trafficking charges, but died after his arrest behind bars of suicide in 2019 in Manhattan’s Metropolitan Correctional Center. While Prince Andrew denied Giuffre’s claims, he settled with her out of court in 2022.

Late last month, Giuffre posted a photo of herself in a hospital bed on Instagram, saying that doctors told her she had “four days to live” due to kidney failure following a car wreck. She was discharged from the hospital six days later.

“This year has been the worst start to a new year. I won’t bore anyone with the details but I think it important to note that when a school bus driver comes at you driving 110km as we were slowing for a turn that no matter what your car is made of it might as well be a tin can,” she wrote.

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“I’m ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time, but you know what they say about wishes,” she added. “S*** in one hand and wish in the other & I guarantee it’s still going to be s*** at the end of the day.”

A spokesperson for Giuffre said the Instagram post was ultimately a mistake.

“On March 24, in rural Western Australia, a school bus hit the car in which she was riding,” the spokesperson said. “Virginia was banged up and bruised and returned home. Virginia’s condition worsened and she was admitted to the hospital.”

“Concerning her Instagram post, Virginia thought that she had posted on her private Facebook page,” the spokesperson added.

Giuffre had three children with husband Richard Giuffre. The couple reportedly split this year, according to the BBC.

Giuffre was supposed to appear in court on April 9 after being charged with violating a family violence restraining order that had been obtained by her husband, People reported. She allegedly violated the order by calling her husband on Feburary 2.

Her court appearance, however, was postponed at the request of her attorney, and a judge granted her an extension until June to enter a plea.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

If you’re based in the U.S., and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can salso peak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

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