Princess Breaks Silence on Her Regrets Over Epstein Ties
Norway’s crown princess spoke out about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein after weeks of mounting pressure.
Norway’s crown princess has opened up about her friendship with Jeffrey Epstein following royal blowback over her ties to the late sex offender.
Mette-Marit, 52, said she was conned by the well-connected financier in a sitdown with public broadcaster NRK that aired on Friday, as public pressure continued to mount after her name appeared hundreds of times in the Epstein files.
Norway's Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit have been married since 2001.
REUTERS
“I was manipulated and deceived,” she said in an interview next to her husband, Crown Prince Haakon, at their home near Oslo. “Of course, I wish I had never met him.”
Mette-Marit said she met Epstein through mutual friends in 2011, years after he pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Jeffrey Epstein took his life in a New York correctional facility in 2019.
Kypros/Kypros
“He used the fact that we had a mutual friend, and that I’m gullible. I like to believe the best about people. But I also chose to end contact with him,” she told NRK.
In an October 2011 email exchange, Mette-Marit told Epstein that she Googled him and it “didn’t look too good : )”
Mette-Marit had this email exchange with Jeffrey Epstein in October 2011.
Department of Justice
The crown princess told NRK that she could no longer recall what she found out about Epstein from the Google search.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
“If I had found information that made me realize that he was an abuser and sex offender, I wouldn’t have written a smiley face behind it,” she said.
In another thread dated November 2012, Mette-Marit told Epstein, “U are very charming u know,” and asked him, “Is it inappropriate for a mother to suggest two naked women carrying a surfboard for my 15 yr old sons wallpaper ?”
In 2012, Mette-Marit said Epstein was "very charming."
Department of Justice
Mette-Marit apologized to the king and queen last month for her friendship with Epstein. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre also said the crown princess showed “bad judgment.”
The NRK interview was filmed on Thursday, the same day that Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, appeared in court for the final day of his trial. The 29-year-old is accused of rape and domestic abuse, for which he pleaded not guilty. He admitted to some lesser offenses, including drug possession and driving violations.
The sitdown was limited to 20 minutes due to Mette-Marit’s pulmonary fibrosis, which causes serious breathing problems.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…