The story of Jeffrey Epstein is often told as one of a single predator and his infamous accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. But the deeper truth is that networks of power, silence, and intimidation sustained Epstein’s empire of abuse. For the women and girls who survived him, the struggle did not end with his death in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019. Many tried to seek justice through the courts. Some filed lawsuits against Epstein’s estate, his enablers, and even his most powerful friends. Yet time and again, lawsuits were withdrawn, settlements reached in secrecy, or claims abandoned under immense pressure.
Among the most striking episodes were the lawsuits involving Alan Dershowitz, Epstein’s longtime lawyer and Harvard professor emeritus, and the attempts to link Donald Trump, who once socialized with Epstein, to the abuse. These cases reveal not only the courage of survivors but also the extraordinary obstacles they faced when their pursuit of justice collided with the machinery of wealth, politics, and reputation.
From the early 2000s onward, survivors of Epstein’s abuse attempted to use the courts to hold him and his circle accountable. Virginia Giuffre, perhaps the most prominent survivor, became the face of this struggle. She alleged that Epstein trafficked her to powerful men, including Prince Andrew and Alan Dershowitz. Others, like Courtney Wild and Sarah Ransome, filed suits against Epstein’s estate and the U.S. government, arguing that prosecutors had violated their rights by cutting Epstein’s secret 2007 plea deal in Florida without informing victims.
But lawsuits are not fought on a level playing field. Survivors faced armies of lawyers, aggressive countersuits, and the psychological toll of reliving trauma in public. Many lacked the resources to sustain years of litigation. And hovering over every case was the specter of Epstein’s connections — to billionaires, politicians, and media moguls — which made the pursuit of justice feel like a battle against an entire system.
The 2007–2008 non‑prosecution agreement (NPA) that Epstein struck with federal prosecutors in Florida cast a long shadow over survivors’ lawsuits. That deal, negotiated by then‑U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta, allowed Epstein to plead guilty to minor state charges, serve 13 months in a county jail, and avoid federal prosecution. Most controversially, it included a clause that the “United States” would not prosecute Epstein’s “potential co‑conspirators.”
For years, this clause was invoked to discourage lawsuits or criminal charges against Epstein’s associates. Survivors were told that the deal tied the hands of prosecutors. Yet when Ghislaine Maxwell was prosecuted in New York in 2020, the government argued that the agreement was limited to Florida and did not apply to her. This contradiction — meaningless for Maxwell, but meaningful for others — continues to haunt survivors’ efforts.
Virginia Giuffre vs. Alan Dershowitz
In 2019, Virginia Giuffre filed a defamation lawsuit against Alan Dershowitz, alleging that he had been one of the men Epstein trafficked her to when she was a teenager. Dershowitz, who had served as Epstein’s lawyer during the Florida plea negotiations, vehemently denied the allegations and countersued Giuffre for defamation.
The litigation quickly became a high‑profile spectacle. Dershowitz accused Giuffre’s lawyer, David Boies, of orchestrating an extortion plot. Boies countersued Dershowitz for defamation. The case threatened to drag on for years, with both sides trading accusations in the press.
Then, in November 2022, Giuffre abruptly dropped her lawsuit. In a joint statement, she acknowledged that she “may have made a mistake” in identifying Dershowitz as one of her abusers. Dershowitz, in turn, dropped his countersuit and praised Giuffre for her “courage” in reconsidering her claim. Both sides agreed that no money changed hands.
For survivors, the outcome was devastating. Giuffre had been one of the most vocal accusers, and Epstein’s defenders seized upon her retreat as proof that other allegations might also be unreliable. Yet the context matters: Giuffre had endured years of litigation, public attacks, and the immense pressure of facing one of the most famous lawyers in America. The withdrawal of her lawsuit was less a vindication of Dershowitz than a testament to the crushing weight survivors face when they challenge the powerful.
Donald Trump’s name has long hovered at the edges of the Epstein saga. He and Epstein were neighbors in Palm Beach, Florida, and Trump once described Epstein as a “terrific guy” who liked women “on the younger side.” Photographs show Trump with Epstein and Maxwell at Mar‑a‑Lago in 2000.
Yet no survivor has ever publicly accused Trump of abuse. Attorneys representing survivors have repeatedly said that none of their clients alleged misconduct by him. Still, Trump’s proximity to Epstein has made him a target of speculation, conspiracy theories, and lawsuits.
In 2016, a woman identified as “Katie Johnson” filed a lawsuit in federal court in New York, alleging that Trump and Epstein had raped her when she was 13. The lawsuit was withdrawn days before the 2016 election, with Johnson citing threats and intimidation as the reason. Journalists who investigated the case found inconsistencies in her story, and the case never resurfaced.
More recently, Trump has been entangled in litigation not as a defendant but as a plaintiff. In 2025, he sued the Wall Street Journal for defamation after it reported on a “bawdy” letter allegedly written by Trump for Epstein’s 50th birthday book in 20035. Trump denied writing the letter and claimed the article was false. The lawsuit, seeking $10 billion in damages, has drawn attention back to his ties with Epstein — and could backfire by forcing Trump to disclose more about their relationship during discovery. The letter has been made public, but the lawsuit continues. Trump has since invited Rupert Murdoch into a deal with others to purchase a stake in TikTok. Expect the lawsuit to be quietly dropped.
For survivors, the Trump lawsuits are a reminder of how their trauma has been politicized. Some survivors have pleaded with Trump to meet with them and support the release of Epstein files, only to be dismissed as part of a “Democrat hoax. " The result is a toxic mix of denial, deflection, and weaponization of their abuse for political gain.
The withdrawal of lawsuits against figures like Dershowitz and Trump reflects a broader pattern. Survivors often face:
- Legal Intimidation: Countersuits, threats of defamation claims, and the prospect of years of litigation.
- Financial Pressure: Wealthy defendants can afford to engage in endless legal battles; survivors often cannot.
- Psychological Toll: Reliving trauma in depositions and public hearings can be unbearable.
- Public Scrutiny: Survivors are attacked in the media, their credibility questioned, their motives impugned.
- Political Weaponization: Their stories are twisted into partisan narratives, making them pawns in larger battles.
Under such conditions, withdrawing a lawsuit can feel like the only way to reclaim peace, even if it means abandoning the pursuit of justice.
Despite these setbacks, survivors continue to demand transparency. In September 2025, seven women gathered on Capitol Hill to call for the release of the remaining Epstein files. They spoke of decades of delayed justice, of being gaslit and silenced, of the need to expose not just Epstein and Maxwell but the entire network of enablers.
Marina Lacerda, identified as “Minor Victim 1” in Epstein’s 2019 indictment, told reporters:
“I was one of a dozen girls that I personally know were forced into Jeffrey’s mansion when we were just kids. I feel empowered knowing that the little girl struggling to get by at 14 and 15 finally has a voice.”
Others, like Haley Robson, pushed back against Trump’s dismissal of their demands as a hoax:
“This is about young women that were molested and abused and then lied to, gaslit, and had their trauma weaponized on them for political gain.”
Their message was clear: the lawsuits may have faltered, but the truth remains.
The Epstein saga illustrates a broader truth about the American justice system: accountability is often selective. Maxwell was prosecuted, but many others in Epstein’s orbit remain untouched. Survivors who dared to sue powerful men found themselves overwhelmed, discredited, or pressured into silence.
The Dershowitz case shows how litigation can be neutralized through attrition. The Trump lawsuits show how survivors’ trauma can be politicized and dismissed. Together, they reveal a system where the powerful can outlast, outspend, and outmaneuver those who seek justice.
For survivors, justice is not just about convictions or settlements; it is about healing and recovery. It is about transparency, acknowledgment, and the release of the full Epstein files. It is about naming the enablers who turned a blind eye, the institutions that protected him, and the networks that sustained his abuse.
This post originally appeared on Medium and is edited and republished with author's permission. Read more of William Spivey's work on Medium. And if you dig his words, buy the man a coffee.