Mette-Marit has publicly expressed regret over her past association with Jeffrey Epstein, saying she wishes she had never met him and feels she was “manipulated” by the disgraced financier.
In an emotional interview with Norwegian broadcaster NRK, the crown princess broke seven weeks of silence following revelations that she exchanged hundreds of emails with Epstein between 2011 and 2014 and stayed at his Florida residence.
“I feel so manipulated, and when you are manipulated, you don’t realise it from the start,” she said, adding that she takes responsibility for not investigating his background more thoroughly. “Of course I wish I had never met him.”
The controversy intensified after the release of Epstein-related documents by U.S. authorities earlier this year, which detailed the extent of their contact. The revelations have triggered significant public scrutiny in Norway and calls for accountability from political leaders, including Jonas Gahr Støre.
Mette-Marit acknowledged exercising “poor judgement” but insisted she was unaware of Epstein’s criminal history at the time, despite being confronted during the interview with evidence that information about his past was publicly accessible.
She also revealed that she felt “uneasy” during a stay at Epstein’s home in 2013, prompting a call to her husband, Haakon, who confirmed he remembered the incident and her distress. Despite this, she maintained contact with Epstein for a period afterward before eventually ending it.
The interview comes at a sensitive time for Norway’s royal family, coinciding with the conclusion of a separate high-profile legal case involving her son. Mette-Marit also addressed concerns about her future role, noting that her ability to continue public duties will depend on her health as she lives with pulmonary fibrosis.
“I would very much like to stand by him in that project,” she said, referring to her husband’s future as king, “if I have the opportunity to do so, given my health.”
The revelations have reignited debate in Norway about transparency, accountability, and the responsibilities of public figures, particularly within the royal family.
