Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has told national TV that she wishes she had never met late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, breaking seven weeks of silence after the extent of her contacts with him emerged. I feel so manipulated, and when you are manipulated, you don't realise it from the start, Mette-Marit said in a 20-minute interview in which she was often on the verge of tears.
Seven weeks ago, Norwegians discovered that the crown princess had exchanged hundreds of emails with the disgraced Epstein between 2011 and 2014 and stayed in his Florida house when he was not there. It is incredibly important for me to take responsibility for not checking his background more carefully, she stated. And to take responsibility for being so manipulated and deceived as I was.
She has already apologized and admitted to poor judgement after the close nature of her links to Epstein came to light when millions of Epstein files were released by the US justice department at the end of January. Mette-Marit emphasized that Epstein's victims deserve justice for the great abuse they had suffered, adding she felt great anger that they had not yet received it.
The crown princess has faced intense scrutiny and pressure to explain herself, including from Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Despite her regrets, she maintained that she didn't know he was a sex offender or a predator, claiming she realized there was something off about Epstein but couldn't recall all the details from years prior.
Discussions about her ongoing health issues and the implications for her royal role further complicated the narrative, as Mette-Marit admitted that her ability to perform duties hinged on her health.
As the interview unfolds, the royal correspondent noted that it raises more questions than it answers, potentially indicating deeper unresolved issues surrounding her past with Epstein.
Seven weeks ago, Norwegians discovered that the crown princess had exchanged hundreds of emails with the disgraced Epstein between 2011 and 2014 and stayed in his Florida house when he was not there. It is incredibly important for me to take responsibility for not checking his background more carefully, she stated. And to take responsibility for being so manipulated and deceived as I was.
She has already apologized and admitted to poor judgement after the close nature of her links to Epstein came to light when millions of Epstein files were released by the US justice department at the end of January. Mette-Marit emphasized that Epstein's victims deserve justice for the great abuse they had suffered, adding she felt great anger that they had not yet received it.
The crown princess has faced intense scrutiny and pressure to explain herself, including from Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Despite her regrets, she maintained that she didn't know he was a sex offender or a predator, claiming she realized there was something off about Epstein but couldn't recall all the details from years prior.
Discussions about her ongoing health issues and the implications for her royal role further complicated the narrative, as Mette-Marit admitted that her ability to perform duties hinged on her health.
As the interview unfolds, the royal correspondent noted that it raises more questions than it answers, potentially indicating deeper unresolved issues surrounding her past with Epstein.
