About this episode
What lingering trauma from Virginia Giuffre’s childhood made her so vulnerable to Epstein and Maxwell’s promises? Tara Palmeri sits down with V Spehar from Under the Desk News for a raw, unfiltered conversation about Giuffre’s heartbreaking memoir—her cycle of abuse starting at age 11, the brutal rapes she endured, and why she craved validation from Epstein’s inner circle even after the horror. They unpack the book’s unflinching details (trigger warning: graphic abuse discussed), from unnamed UK ministers to the employees who saw everything but stayed silent, plus Giuffre’s relentless hope amid darkness, her bond with Pancetta the rescue pup, and the justice she never lived to see. Tara shares intimate stories from their reporting journey together, the emotional toll of chasing truth, and why this book humanizes a survivor the world tried to silence. Which moment from Virginia Giuffre’s story hit you hardest in the book? Tara's latest piece on Virginia Giuffre: https://www.tarapalmeri.com/p/the-girl-who-knocked-on-every-door For more of her reporting, subscribe to her weekly newsletter, "The Red Letter." https://tarapalmeri.substack.com/ https://www.tarapalmeri.com/subscribe Latest from the Red Letter: https://www.tarapalmeri.com/p/how-zohran-mamdani-and-trump-use https://www.tarapalmeri.com/p/pete-hegseths-paranoia-mtgs-mutiny https://www.tarapalmeri.com/p/james-carville-thinks-the-democrats To support her mission of independent journalism, consider donating to her GoFundMe account: https://gofund.me/0c46f9a5 Under the Desk News' channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UC4e3Gm46D6hWqVyjwkgS33g Tara Palmeri is one of the most feared and fearless reporters covering power and politics. She has 15 years of experience covering national politics and foreign affairs. She was formerly a White House Correspondent for ABC News where she covered the first Trump administration. She was the chief National Correspondent for POLITICO during the Biden administration. She has been a political analyst for CNBC, CBS and CNN. She started her career as a columnist for the Washington Examiner and then went on to report for the New York Post. She was a foreign correspondent for POLITICO Europe, where she covered international affairs, including Brexit. She hosted the Ringer's political podcast "Somebody's Gotta Win" and wrote a column for Puck. Tara also hosted two acclaimed podcasts on Jeffrey Epstein, "Broken: Jeffrey Epstein" and "Power: The Maxwells." Tara currently hosts the Tara Palmeri Show. Follow Tara: https://www.instagram.com/tarapalmeri/ https://x.com/tarapalmeri https://www.tiktok.com/@tarapalmeri For inquiries, email: TaraPalmeriInfo@gmail.com Virginia Giuffre Exposes the Brutality of Epstein’s World Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to the Tara Palmeri Show 00:29 Tara joins Under the Desk News 01:29 Pancetta the rescue pup steals the show 03:24 Virginia’s childhood left her broken and vulnerable 05:21 Why kindness from strangers meant everything to her 07:26 The brutal rape by a former UK minister 09:40 Chasing validation from Epstein’s chef Adam Perry Lang 11:52 House manager admits he saw the girls but stayed silent 13:24 Pilot hangs up mid-call on the Lolita Express 15:09 The emotional toll of knocking on doors for truth 17:35 Carrying Virginia’s legacy after her death 20:30 She pushed herself too hard to be heard 23:26 Why she kept returning to Epstein and Maxwell 25:14 Will this book block Maxwell’s commutation 27:34 Her children’s future and the fight over the estate 30:21 Walter Cronkite on the flight manifest mystery 32:36 Epstein’s world made depravity look normal 34:51 V Spehar heads to Brussels for EU diplomacy 38:56 Trump’s short-term thinking on Ukraine 42:12 Family Wizard of Oz Halloween plans 46:05 Thanks for watching the Tara Palmeri Show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices