Virginia Giuffre had already shattered the silence, accusing Prince Andrew of sexual abuse when she was just 17. Then came Johanna Sjoberg—another young woman caught in Jeffrey Epstein’s orbit—who delivered a second, equally devastating blow.
In sworn testimony, Sjoberg described a chilling 2001 encounter inside Epstein’s New York mansion. Prince Andrew, she said, groped her breast while the group laughed and snapped photos, a puppet version of the prince placed mockingly on Giuffre’s chest in the same obscene pose. What should have been a moment of playful mockery turned into something invasive and humiliating, all in plain view of Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Giuffre herself.
Sjoberg’s account painted a picture of casual entitlement among the powerful—and left the world asking: how many more women endured the same treatment in silence?
Virginia Giuffre broke years of silence when she publicly accused Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her at the age of 17, alleging she was trafficked to him by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Her claims, detailed in court filings and interviews, described multiple encounters in the early 2000s, including in London, New York, and on Epstein’s private island. Giuffre’s allegations formed the basis of a civil lawsuit against the Duke of York, which was settled out of court in 2022 without any admission of liability by Andrew, who has consistently denied the accusations.
Then came Johanna Sjoberg’s sworn testimony, delivering another damaging account tied to the same circle of power and exploitation. In a 2016 deposition from the Giuffre v. Maxwell case—later unsealed in 2024—Sjoberg described a 2001 incident at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse. She recounted meeting Prince Andrew there alongside Epstein, Maxwell, and Giuffre. What began as an apparently lighthearted moment quickly turned invasive.
According to Sjoberg, Maxwell produced a puppet caricature of Prince Andrew, intended as a joke. The group decided to pose for photographs. Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew sat on a couch, with the puppet placed on Giuffre’s lap, its hand positioned on her breast. Sjoberg was then directed to sit on Andrew’s lap. In the deposition, she stated that the puppet’s hand was placed on Giuffre’s breast, and Andrew placed his hand on hers. Photos were taken amid laughter from those present, including Epstein and Maxwell.
Sjoberg emphasized the casual nature of the act: “Andrew put his hand on my breast, and they took a photo.” She recalled the scene vividly, noting the puppet’s tag labeled “Prince Andrew,” which confirmed his identity for her. The incident, she testified, occurred in plain view of the others, with no apparent objection.
This moment encapsulated the disturbing entitlement that reportedly permeated Epstein’s world. Young women, often recruited under the guise of legitimate work like massages, found themselves objectified and humiliated by powerful figures who treated such behavior as entertainment. Sjoberg’s account did not allege further assault by Andrew but highlighted a normalized disregard for boundaries and consent.
Prince Andrew has categorically denied Sjoberg’s claims, with Buckingham Palace previously calling them “categorically untrue.” He has also denied any wrongdoing in relation to Giuffre’s allegations or Epstein’s trafficking network.
The combined testimonies of Giuffre and Sjoberg raised profound questions about complicity, silence, and accountability. Epstein’s operation thrived on influence, wealth, and intimidation, ensnaring vulnerable young women and exposing them to exploitation by high-profile associates. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for sex trafficking and is serving a 20-year sentence. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial.
Sjoberg’s deposition, like Giuffre’s, forced public scrutiny of how many others may have suffered similar treatment without ever speaking out. It underscored the power imbalances that allowed such abuses to persist undetected for years. The puppet incident—mocking yet menacing—served as a grotesque symbol: women reduced to props in a game controlled by the elite. As more documents emerge and survivors speak, the full scope of Epstein’s network continues to unfold, leaving society to confront uncomfortable truths about privilege, predation, and the long silence that protected it.
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