Norway's Crown Princess Reflects on Past Friendship with Jeffrey Epstein
Crown Princess Mette-Marit's Regret Over Epstein Connection
Oslo: Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway has publicly expressed her regret regarding her past friendship with the late Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. In a recent interview with a Norwegian media outlet, she revealed feelings of being manipulated and deceived by Epstein. Her comments come in the wake of a significant scandal that has affected the royal family, particularly following the release of extensive documents by the US Justice Department last year, which unveiled connections between Epstein and various high-profile individuals.
During the interview, Mette-Marit stated, “I was manipulated and deceived,” adding, “Of course, I wish I had never met him.” The documents disclosed by the Justice Department indicated that the Crown Princess maintained communication with Epstein even after his 2008 guilty plea, as reported by various news sources. Although she has not faced any allegations of wrongdoing, Mette-Marit did apologize to King Harald and Queen Sonja in a statement made earlier this month.
Reports indicate that her interactions with Epstein spanned from 2011 to 2014, including a four-day stay at his Palm Beach residence during a private visit in 2013. Mette-Marit mentioned that a mutual friend had introduced them, and due to her trusting nature, she initially believed Epstein to be a good person. She later severed ties with him, but the released documents appear to contradict her earlier claims. In a statement from 2019, she expressed regret for not investigating Epstein's background, asserting that she would have avoided him had she known about his criminal history.
Interestingly, an email from October 2011, three years post-Epstein's guilty plea, revealed that Mette-Marit had searched for information about him and noted that it “didn't look good,” followed by a smiley face. When questioned about this email during the interview, she admitted to not recalling it. The Epstein files consist of a vast array of documents, images, and communications that detail his interactions with numerous public figures, including politicians and celebrities.