Virginia Giuffre has described how she was recruited as a teenager by Ghislaine Maxwell while working at Mar-a-Lago, the Florida resort owned by Donald Trump. In an extract from her posthumous memoir, she recalls walking onto the manicured grounds for the first time at age 16, with her father who worked there maintaining air-conditioning units and tennis courts. She was given a uniform and a name tag reading 'Jenna', her childhood nickname.
After a few days, her father introduced her to Trump, who asked if she babysat. She began earning extra money minding children of the elite in houses next to the resort. But her day job in the spa gave her a vision of a better future. She marvelled at the peaceful clients and hoped that with training she could help others reduce stress.
One hot day weeks before her 17th birthday, she was walking to the spa when a car slowed behind her. Inside was Ghislaine Maxwell, who ordered her driver to stop. Maxwell followed Giuffre to the spa, where she was reading an anatomy book. Maxwell, with a British accent, asked if she was interested in massage. Giuffre fetched her tea, and Maxwell continued talking, mentioning a wealthy Mar-a-Lago member looking for a massage.
Giuffre writes that she did not know it yet, but 'an apex predator was closing in'. The memoir details how she was trafficked to wealthy and powerful men, including Prince Andrew, who she claims believed having sex with her was his birthright. The extract ends with Maxwell's approach, setting the stage for the abuse to come.
