Norwegian crown princess says Epstein manipulated her

Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit has revealed in her first interview about her interactions with convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein that he manipulated her.

“It is incredibly important for me to take responsibility for not checking his background more carefully. And to take responsibility for being manipulated and deceived as I was,” Mette-Marit told the state broadcaster NRK.

The interview, which the royal palace shortened to 20 minutes, citing the crown princess’s health, did not disclose the name of the friend who introduced her to Epstein. She also avoided answering some questions, saying she could not recall what information she had found about him online after their introduction.

Following the release of archival documents related to the Epstein case, Norwegian media reported that Mette-Marit had actively corresponded with Epstein, met him several times, and that the tone of their communication was perceived by some social media users as “intimate.” NRK journalists asked the crown princess directly whether this description was accurate, but she clarified that the correspondence was “friendly.”

The crown princess expressed regret that she had not publicly detailed her connections with Epstein following his arrest. She explained that she aimed to protect her private life and admitted that it had been difficult to process the events. Mette-Marit added that, although she was unaware of Epstein’s crimes, she understood he was “a bad person to be involved with” and that she should have warned others against associating with him.

Crown Prince Haakon, in the same interview, said he was aware of his wife’s friendship with Epstein. “Yes, I knew that they knew each other, that they had met in the US. And he was here; the crown princess showed him, Frogner Park,” he said.

By Jeyhun Aghazada