▁un answer ed . ▁▁ ▁D ers how itz ▁veh ement ly ▁denied ▁the ▁alleg ations ▁in ▁Gi uff re ' s ▁statement ▁and ▁sought ▁dis bar ment ▁of ▁the ▁law y ers ▁fil ing ▁the ▁suit . ▁Edwards ▁and ▁Cass ell ▁su ed ▁D ers how itz ▁for ▁def am ation ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 5 ; ▁he ▁counter su ed . ▁The ▁two ▁parties ▁settled ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁for ▁an ▁und is closed ▁financial ▁sum . ▁Ep stein ▁su ed ▁Edwards ▁for ▁civil ▁ra ck ete ering ▁but ▁later ▁dropped ▁his ▁suit ; ▁Edwards ▁counter su ed ▁for ▁mal icious ▁pro sec ution ▁with ▁the ▁result ▁that ▁Ep stein ▁issued ▁a ▁public ▁ap ology ▁to ▁the ▁lawyer ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 8 . ▁▁ ▁Gi uff re ▁( then ▁known ▁by ▁her ▁ma iden ▁name ▁Virginia ▁Roberts ) ▁assert ed ▁that ▁she ▁had ▁sex ▁with ▁Prince ▁Andrew ▁on ▁three ▁occasions , ▁including ▁a ▁trip ▁to ▁London ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁ 1 7 , ▁and ▁later ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁and ▁on ▁Little ▁Saint ▁James . ▁She ▁alleg ed ▁Ep stein ▁paid ▁her ▁$ 1 5 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁have ▁sex ▁with ▁the ▁Duke ▁in ▁London . ▁Fl ight ▁logs ▁show ▁the ▁Duke ▁and ▁Gi uff re ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁places ▁she ▁alleg es ▁the ▁sex ▁happened . ▁Prince ▁Andrew ▁and ▁Gi uff re ▁were ▁also ▁photograph ed ▁together ▁with ▁his ▁arm ▁round ▁her ▁wa ist ▁and ▁included