'Few Can Relate To Life I Led': Son Of Norway's Crown Princess Breaks Down During Rape Trial

Last Updated:February 05, 2026, 08:39 IST

Marius Borg Hoiby, son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, denied rape charges in court, admitting to destructive behavior amid media scrutiny.

Norway Crown Princess, Mette-Marit's son, Marius Borg Hoiby (Image credit: AFP)

Marius Borg Hoiby, the son of Norway’s crown princess, broke down in court on Wednesday as he refuted rape charges against him and claimed videos on his phone had not shown acts of rape.

The 29-year-old is accused of raping four women and faces more than 30 other criminal charges.

In the court, he acknowledged that he had experienced an “extreme need for recognition" – owing to a life of excess with public attention – which he claimed from an early age had pushed him into destructive behaviour as he started craving sex, drugs, and alcohol.

As he took the stand on the second day of his trial, Hoiby appeared devastated, taking pauses between his statements to wipe his eyes and remove his glasses, BBC reported.

He told the three-judge panel that speaking in court was “very difficult" for him, as he admitted that he had been followed by the media since early childhood.

“I am known for being Mamma’s son. Nothing else," he said, referring to his mother, Mette-Marit.  “Few can relate to the life I have led. A lot of parties, alcohol, some drugs", he added.

What Are The Allegations?

Marius Borg Hoiby is accused of raping four women between December 2018 and November 2024, allegedly after consensual sex, either when they were asleep or incapacitated, India Today reports.

According to the report, one of the women alleged before the court that she was “100 per cent convinced" that she had been drugged at an after-party at Hoiby’s parents’ house in 2018. When the police showed her videos – allegedly depicting sexual assault against her – she said she was in shock and had felt betrayed.

The woman also added that she had no memory of the incident. Hoiby, on the other hand, has denied drugging anyone. On the first day of his trial on Tuesday, he pleaded not guilty to charges of rape. At the same time, he admitted to having committed some lesser offences.

Royal Family Under Scrutiny

Norway’s Crown Princess and Hoiby’s mother, Mette-Marit, whose past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has long been known, has come under renewed scrutiny after her name appeared in the ‘Epstein Files.’

The US Department of Justice, last week, released a huge cache of documents that shed light on the probe into the crimes and trafficking network of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In one of the emails, Epstein told the princess about how he was on a ‘wife hunt’. In another, he said that he hoped he didn’t make her sad, to which she responded: “You tickle my brain".

Princess Mette-Marit, who is now married to Crown Prince Haakon, issued an apology as the revelations surfaced. “I showed poor judgment, and I deeply regret having had any contact with Epstein. It is simply embarrassing," she said in a statement released by the royal palace.

News world 'Few Can Relate To Life I Led': Son Of Norway's Crown Princess Breaks Down During Rape Trial

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