Epstein victim Marina Lacerda challenges Crown Princess Mette-Marit
One of Epstein’s many victims distances herself from Mette-Marit’s contact with Epstein and challenges her to honesty and accountability. A powerful testimony — more may follow.
February 18, 2026 | SOCIETY
“Many apologies are coming from powerful people, but there are no excuses for the contact they had with a convicted abuser,” Epstein survivor Marina Lacerda told NRK yesterday.
Marina Lacerda Shares Her Story
Marina is one of many victims in the Epstein case; she is referred to as “minor victim no. 1” in the 2008 conviction Jeffrey Epstein received for the abuse and sex trafficking of 36 minors. Despite the conviction and prison sentence, Jeffrey Epstein continued his abuse of young women and was charged and arrested for new offenses in July 2019; he was found dead in his cell in August of the same year. While 300 victims have been identified in the Epstein case, the unreported figures are high, and it is estimated there could be over 1,000 victims.
Marina tells the story of how she was abused as a child by her stepfather and how she was later recruited by a friend to massage Jeffrey Epstein when she was only 14 years old. He groomed her by being charming and friendly, and by paying her when she was in a vulnerable position as an impoverished illegal immigrant from Brazil. It resulted in three years of sexual abuse. When Marina was 17, he lost interest in her because he preferred younger girls.
Marina’s mother had no income and turned a blind eye to the abuse as Marina came home with money. It is extremely difficult for Marina that her mother failed her in this way, a feeling that was reinforced after Marina became a mother herself—she now has a 12-year-old daughter. Therefore, Marina believes it is important to stand forward as a victim, share information about grooming, and promote the message of how vital it is for mothers to protect their daughters.
Marina says that the Epstein conviction from 2008 was public knowledge and that it is difficult to understand the contact powerful and prominent individuals had with Epstein after the verdict, and especially the Crown Princess as a mother; “She has children herself, and it is disgusting that she has conversations with an abuser as they appear in the Epstein files.” Marina encourages Mette-Marit to be honest and take responsibility for her contact with Epstein.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s response to Marina Lacerda’s challenge
Mette-Marit was 37 years old and had three children, two of them with Norway’s future king, when she became involved with Jeffrey Epstein in 2011. The relationship reportedly lasted until 2014. Mette-Marit kept the relationship hidden but has been exposed by the Epstein files as they have been published. On the same day new Epstein files were published on December 19 last year, the Royal House issued a message stating that at some point in the future, it will be necessary for Mette-Marit to undergo a lung transplant.
The Royal House has released a new statement from Mette-Marit following Marina’s interview with NRK, which reads:
“I am deeply shaken by the stories of the many victims of Epstein, and they have my full support. It is important that their voices are heard. Both as a woman and a mother, I support them. Jeffrey Epstein himself is responsible for his actions. I must take responsibility for the fact that I did not check Epstein’s background better and that I did not realize quickly enough what kind of person he was. I apologize most sincerely for this, and this is a responsibility I must take.”
The Norwegian people have still not received an explanation from Crown Princess Mette-Marit regarding her relationship with Epstein. Just over five years have passed since her relationship with Epstein became known through the Epstein files, and three weeks since the confidential relationship between them became known through new Epstein files. This is problematic for several reasons, both due to the nature of the relationship and because Mette-Marit has previously not been honest about it.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s relationship with the Norwegian society
The interest organization Sex and Society (Sex og Samfunn) ended its collaboration with the Crown Princess regarding the "Shameless Prize" (Skamløsprisen) on February 2. They write:
“What has been important for the foundation is the consideration of our patients, all victims of abuse, and everyone working to prevent sexual abuse, including several winners of the Shameless Prize. It is out of consideration for them that we now wish to end the collaboration with HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit as patron of the Shameless Prize.”
The Council for Mental Health and the Norwegian Library Association are pausing their collaboration with the Crown Princess; other organizations are evaluating their cooperation with her.
Mette-Marit is currently not performing public duties for the Royal House. Crown Prince Haakon gave a statement to the press on Friday, February 6, saying that the Crown Princess needs time to collect herself and is not in a position to give a statement now. Furthermore, he stated that the family must prioritize during a difficult time. Marius Borg Høiby, Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship, is charged with 38 criminal offenses, including rape and domestic violence; the seven-week trial began on February 2 in Oslo District Court.
In statements from the Crown Prince Couple and the Royal House, the recurring message has been that Jeffrey Epstein must take responsibility for his own actions. As Epstein victim Marina Lacerda states, it is important that Mette-Marit is both honest and takes responsibility for her relationship with Epstein. The crimes of Jeffrey Epstein did not occur in a vacuum; he was surrounded by enablers—including the Norwegian Crown Princess. The case is also very complicated for the Crown Princess because she also appears as an enabler through the ongoing trial against her son.
Several Norwegians are under police investigation for corruption in relation to Epstein; these include the former Prime Minister of Norway, leader of the Nobel Peace Prize, and Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland; former diplomat and leader of the International Peace Institute Terje Røed-Larsen; and his wife, diplomat Mona Juul. No one is currently being investigated for sexual abuse. It is the King who makes the decision regarding a potential investigation of Mette-Marit. The King has not commented on the developments in the Epstein case.
In an opinion poll published by TV2 on February 2, it appears that 47.6% do not want Mette-Marit as queen, while 28.9% say yes and 23.5% do not know.
The Norwegian people are liberal and tolerate much, but this is more than much. If Society and Policy is to summarize the reaction of the Norwegian people, as expressed in the public sphere, six themes are central regarding the four aforementioned persons in this article:
That their relationship with Epstein is loathsome
That they indirectly (or perhaps directly) may have contributed to Epstein’s criminal actions against young women
That their work has been/is funded by taxpayer money
That they have been dishonest about their relationship with Epstein
That they must be held accountable for any breaches of rules and laws
That both the institutions these individuals represent and the associated oversight institutions have failed; that these must ensure the aforementioned are investigated and held accountable if they have broken current rules and laws.
SOURCES
NRK News (NRK Nyheter)
News segment featuring Marina LacerdaNRK Debate (NRK Debatten)
Interview with Marina LacerdaFair Observer
The timeline of Jeffrey EpsteinSex og Samfunn (Sex and Society)
Ends cooperation with Crown Princess Mette-MaritØkokrim (Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime)
Confirms new investigation