In a tearful television interview Friday, Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit admitted she was “manipulated and deceived” by Jeffrey Epstein, apologizing for a friendship she now says she wishes had never happened.
The 52-year-old princess, wife of Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the Norwegian throne, spoke to public broadcaster NRK after newly released U.S. Justice Department files revealed a far more extensive relationship with the late sex offender than previously known.
“I was manipulated and deceived,” Mette-Marit said, her voice breaking. “Of course, I wish I had never met him.”
What the Files Show
The Epstein files show frequent communication between the princess and Epstein from 2011 to 2014—years after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting an underage girl. During that period, Mette-Marit stayed at his Palm Beach house for four days during a private trip in 2013.
One released email from October 2011 shows Mette-Marit writing to Epstein that she had googled him and agreed “it didn’t look too good”—followed by a smiley face.
When NRK asked about the email, the princess said she could not remember writing it.
“But if I had found information that made me realise that he was an abuser and sex offender, I wouldn’t have written a smiley face behind it,” she said.
‘I’m Gullible’
Mette-Marit has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing. But the documents, which have sent shockwaves through Norway’s political and royal establishment, prompted an unusual rebuke from the prime minister and demands that she give a full account.
“He used the fact that we had a mutual friend, and that I’m gullible. I like to believe the best about people,” she said. “But I also chose to end contact with him.”
She added: “I’ve never seen anything illegal.”
The new files appeared to contradict a 2019 statement in which she apologized for not investigating Epstein’s past and said she would never have associated with him had she known the seriousness of his crimes.
The Crown Prince’s Defense
Sitting beside her, Crown Prince Haakon offered unwavering support.
“Mette is caring, wise and really strong,” he said. “And that’s why I will always have her on the team when something difficult happens.”
Marriage, he added, is for both “the good days and the bad.”
A Royal Family Under Pressure
The interview came at a moment of extraordinary strain for Norway’s royal family. Mette-Marit has not appeared in public for weeks. She suffers from a chronic lung disease that will eventually require a transplant.
Meanwhile, her eldest son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, 29, is on trial for rape and domestic abuse. He has declared himself not guilty of the rape charges while admitting to some lesser offenses.
The cumulative weight of scandals has taken a toll on the monarchy’s popularity. A February Norstat poll published by NRK found that support for the monarchy dropped from 70% in January to 60%. Support for a republic rose from 19% to 27% over the same period.
A Nation’s Reckoning
The Epstein files have implicated not only the crown princess but also top Norwegian politicians, business executives, and diplomats. The revelations have sparked a rare political reckoning, with the prime minister’s office facing questions about what officials knew and when.
For Mette-Marit, Friday’s interview was an attempt to contain the damage—to her family, her reputation, and the institution she represents.
“I regret that I did not investigate his past more thoroughly,” she said. “I should have known better.”
But as the tears dried and the cameras stopped rolling, the question hanging over Norway’s royal family remained: whether this apology, however heartfelt, will be enough to restore the trust that the Epstein scandal has shattered.
