Norway's crown princess says she was 'manipulated' by Jeffrey Epstein

Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has broken her silence on her past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, telling Norwegian broadcaster NRK that she was "manipulated and deceived" and expressing deep regret for not examining his background more carefully. The interview marks the first time the royal has addressed the relationship in such detail since Epstein files were released earlier this year.

"It is incredibly important for me to take responsibility for not checking his background more carefully. And to take responsibility for being so manipulated and deceived as I was," Mette-Marit said. She described the connection as a "friendly relationship" that came through mutual acquaintances she trusted, adding that she wished she had never met Epstein.

Uncomfortable Encounter and Lingering Contact

The crown princess revealed that she stayed at Epstein's Palm Beach, Florida residence for several days in January 2013 after a mutual friend borrowed the house. While she said she never witnessed illegal activity during her visits, she described one encounter that left her deeply unsettled. "When he arrived on the last day of our stay in Palm Beach, he put me in a situation that made me so insecure that I called (Crown Prince) Haakon's house," she said, without providing further details. NRK reported the incident was not an assault.

Despite this discomfort, Mette-Marit said she remained in contact with Epstein afterward, attributing it to his manipulative nature and their shared social circles. "I think it was probably because he was so manipulative that he used the fact that we had a mutual friend. That I am gullible. I like to believe the best about people," she explained. She said she eventually ended contact after hearing rumors about his character, though she regrets not warning others.

Justice for Victims and Royal Accountability

The crown princess expressed frustration that Epstein's victims have not received justice, nearly six years after the financier was found dead in his New York jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. "I feel such great anger that they haven't received it," she said. "If I've done something that has contributed to giving him legitimacy in some way, it's terribly difficult for me."

Her statements come after the US Justice Department released more than 3 million pages of documents, 2,000 videos, and 180,000 images under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law last November. The files revealed that several high-ranking Norwegian officials, including former Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland, also had contact with Epstein. Epstein had previously pleaded guilty in 2008 to procuring a minor for prostitution, a conviction critics have long labeled a "sweetheart deal."