Virginia Giuffre was "shaking with fear" when she called her then‑boyfriend hours after an encounter she later said involved Prince Andrew, her former partner told RadarOnline.com in an interview published Sunday.

According to The Sun, Tony Figueroa, 43, said Giuffre called him in March 2001 from London after she returned to the home of socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, where she later said she had sex with the prince. Figueroa, who now works in the restaurant industry in Atlanta, said he remembers the call clearly and that Giuffre's voice was trembling.

"I remember that call clearly. She was terrified. Her voice was shaking the whole time," Figueroa said. "I was also absolutely terrified something would happen to her. We talked about the death of Diana. This man was so powerful, he was literally a prince."

Giuffre, who was 17 at the time of the alleged encounter and who died by suicide in April at 41, as reported by RadarOnline told Figueroa she did not want to engage in the sexual activity but felt powerless, he said. "When she called, she told me, 'I don't know what I could have done — what can I do? He's a prince! This is one of the richest, most powerful families in the world,'" Figueroa said.

Giuffre's allegations and ties between Maxwell and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein drew renewed public scrutiny in recent years. Maxwell is serving a 20‑year sentence after being convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking. Giuffre sued Prince Andrew in 2021, alleging sexual assault; Andrew has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

Figueroa said he was not surprised by Andrew's 2019 Newsnight interview, in which the prince sought to rebut accusations and public questions about his relationship with Epstein. "Entitled rich people are all the same," Figueroa said, dismissing Andrew's claim that a photograph showing the prince with Giuffre was fake. Figueroa said he held the photograph after Giuffre developed it at a photo kiosk in Florida and that it was among other images she was reviewing.

Giuffre's posthumous memoir, Nobody's Girl, chronicles abuse she said she endured while associated with Epstein and Maxwell. Her death prompted renewed calls from supporters and advocates for justice and for greater protections for survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking.

Figueroa described watching Giuffre's transformation from "a bright and bubbly young girl" to someone he said was victimized by Epstein's network. He acknowledged his own past involvement, saying Epstein had once paid him $200 for introducing girls from their school — a decision he said still haunts him. "I have nightmares. I have a son just a couple of years younger than I was when all this happened," he said.

Legal and law enforcement efforts related to Epstein's associates and others alleged to have been involved in the network have continued to draw public attention. Prince Andrew stepped back from public duties amid the controversy and has relinquished some royal responsibilities and military titles, though he has denied criminal conduct.

Representatives for Prince Andrew did not immediately respond to requests for comment Sunday.

Tags
Virginia giuffre, Prince Andrew, Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine maxwell