Norway’s crown princess apologizes for 'friendship' with Epstein
'Some of the content of the messages between Epstein and me does not represent the person I want to be,' Mette-Marit says
ISTANBUL
Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit apologized on Friday over her past “friendship” with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after recently released case files revealed multiple contacts between the two.
“I wish to offer a deep apology for my friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. It is important to me to apologize to all of you whom I have disappointed,” she said in a written statement issued by the Royal House.
“Some of the content of the messages between Epstein and me does not represent the person I want to be,” the crown princess added.
Mette-Marit “strongly condemns” Epstein's abuse and criminal actions and is “deeply sorry” for not having understood sooner what kind of person he was, the statement read.
She also “wishes to speak about what happened and explain herself more fully. She is not able to do so at this time,” it added.
“The Crown Princess is in a very demanding situation. She hopes for understanding that she needs time to collect herself.”
On Tuesday, Norwegian public broadcaster NRK reported that released emails show the crown princess was invited at least twice to visit Epstein’s private island, although there is no evidence confirming that she ever stayed there.
The emails also showed that Mette-Marit visited Epstein’s villa in Florida and that the two exchanged invitations for meals, suggesting repeated contact.
The US Justice Department recently released over 3 million pages, 2,000 videos, and 180,000 images related to the sex offender under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law by US President Donald Trump on Nov. 19 last year.
The files include photos of prominent figures, grand jury transcripts, and investigative records, though many pages were heavily redacted to protect victims.
Epstein was found dead by suicide in a New York City jail on Aug. 10, 2019, while awaiting trial on federal charges of operating a sex trafficking network involving underage girls and women. He was being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center at the time of his death.
