Marius Borg Høiby News & Current Events Part 1: December 2023 -

[Somebody]

Several mental disorders (I wonder whether they were officially diagnosed) and previous treatment for substance abuse... So, this cannot have come as a surprise to those close to him. At least he is finally taking responsibility for what has happened and states to be willing to face the consequences and talk to the police.

i am sure this statement has been carefully crafted (after 1 1/2 weeks of silence) but given the sad situation, this openness and admittance of guilt is the better option. That he limits it to this one instance most likely doesn't reflect the true impact of his behavior over the years but makes sense from a legal point of view.

 

[suztav]

Very sad for him. Substance addictions permeate every social group in our society.

Very very sad for the entire royal family.

 

[tommy100]

Yes, I thought that reading his statement. It suggests to me the family must have been aware of (at least some) his issues, quite likely they have been the ones helping him seek support and treatment in the past.

 

[HenRach Dominion]

A lot of what Marius's statement says lines up with what many posters speculated, along with their feelings about it, including my own.

Yes, he struggles with addiction. Yes, he struggles with mental illness. No, it doesn't excuse him attacking his girlfriend, and he states that he plans on taking responsibility for that.

For everyone's sake, I hope that's a sincere sentiment and not just lawyer speak.

 

[tommy100]

His statement raises as many questions (if not more) than it answers IMO.

It gives us more answers about the specific case with the victim in this incident tbf.

 

[Muhler]

It is de facto a confession - of this incident.
He is also at the same time offering a potentially mitigating explanation.
- In other words, considering the evidence he is gambling on a discount in the sentence, in return for this apology and his pledge to - again - seek professional help.

So how sincere is this?

Is also refers to the victim as his girlfriend. But I've seen her being referred to in the press as his ex-girlfriend.
Does that mean the press was wrong?
That Marius continue to consider her his girlfriend, even though she is not?
That the break is very recent indeed. So recent that Marius out of habit - or hope - refer to her as his girlfriend?

And, what if this is not the first time he has been abusive towards this woman? Will he offer a second apology in that case? I.e. apologize as each incident is made public.

People who abuse tend to apologize vehemently and promise never to do it again and and take the full blame - sort off. Each time... But they are rarely sincere.

How many times has Marius apologized to Snekkestad I wonder?
How many times has Marius apologized to the victim in the current case?
How many times has he apologized to his mother?

I'm not convinced of his sincerity.

-------

I find the action of Mette-Marit very human. I have no idea how long Marius and this women were sweethearts, but I find it likely that she and Mette-Marit have met, perhaps often. I honestly don't think she had any other motives but genuine concern for the victim - probably mixed with shame. - That her action can be used against her or rather Marius is another matter.

 

[tommy100]

TBH now we know about Marius' troubles I wonder if Mette-Marit hasn't had to intervene with him and a partner in the past. Thus she wouldn't think twice about doing it again, just this time the consequences of Marius' actions were more severe.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Is also refers to the victim as his girlfriend. But I've seen her being referred to in the press as his ex-girlfriend.
Does that mean the press was wrong?
That Marius continue to consider her his girlfriend, even though she is not?
That the break is very recent indeed. So recent that Marius out of habit - or hope - refer to her as his girlfriend?

I think all your theories are plausible. Other possibilities are that she was his girlfriend at the time of the violent incident (which is the subject of his statement) but ended the relationship afterwards, or that she considers the relationship to be ended and told the press so but did not tell Marius himself.

 

[Hans-Rickard]

For anyone who is able to read between the lines, nothing of this should come as a ”shock”…. The likelyhood of you hitting your girlfriend and giving her a concussion, and going berserk in her apartment if you have no mental issues, does not drink alcohol and does not use drugs is close to zero…. I’m not saying a fully sober person would never be capable of doing this but the likelyhood of it happening when you are 100 % sober is not big…

This statement was likely released when the blood and urine tests the police took from Marius came back indicating ”positive” for Cocaine… It is as expected carefully worded in close cooperation with his lawyer…

I will not blame Mette-Marit for wanting to hear for herself how it is with her sons girlfriend who she more than likely knows very well… The timing is unfortunate but it is a fully natural parental reaction… And Mette-Marit have always worn her heart on her sleeve.

 

[LadyFinn]

I have read in the press that "they had been in a romantic relationship" and thought that it meant that she had been Marius' girlfriend until this incident.

Lawyer Mette Yvonne Larsen was asked: Is it a one-off event?
- What happened this night was a one-off incident, I will not comment further.
Larsen will not comment on whether Borg Høiby and the victim have had a dialogue.
- Are they still in a relationship?
- I have no information about that, and I do not perceive that they are.

Marius Borg Høiby erkjenner vold mot kvinne

Advokat Mette Yvonne Larsen sier kvinnen i Høiby-saken har det vanskelig, og at hun er «sjokkert og skuffet» over alle lekkasjene til media.

www.vg.no

 

[crm2317]

I have refrained from commenting in this thread but now just find it hard not to! Perhaps an unpopular opinion but when I read his statement all I am thinking is “aww poor little rich boy”. How many times over the years do we see rich young people raised with all the contacts and opportunities to have a great start and they waste their energy instead in drugs and alcohol. He gets no sympathy from me, blame substances and mental health all you want.

 

[tommy100]

Well as I understand it he has a residence of his own on his mum & step dad's estate and doesn't have a full time job - certainly not a career job with decent pay - so I think it is fair to ask whether his behaviour hasn't been enabled in some ways by the lifestyle his parents have allowed him to live and the expectations they have placed on him.

 

[camelot23ca]

Well as I understand it he has a residence of his own on his mum & step dad's estate and doesn't have a full time job - certainly not a career job with decent pay - so I think it is fair to ask whether his behaviour hasn't been enabled in some ways by the lifestyle his parents have allowed him to live and the expectations they have placed on him.

My opinion on this would depend on the severity of the long term mental disorders he mentions. Some people genuinely carry a very heavy burden of cognitive impairments, mood disorders, or a combination of multiple diagnoses, that make the traditional path of full time school followed by full time employment difficult. If this is true for Marius then he’s fortunate his family has the resources to support him as much as he needs, and I don’t blame them for doing so. Of course, it can be tricky for parents to figure out where “as much as he needs” stops and counterproductive enabling starts, and the substance abuse complicates things significantly.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Well as I understand it he has a residence of his own on his mum & step dad's estate and doesn't have a full time job - certainly not a career job with decent pay - so I think it is fair to ask whether his behaviour hasn't been enabled in some ways by the lifestyle his parents have allowed him to live and the expectations they have placed on him.

In fairness to the Crown Prince Couple and Marius Borg Høiby, his cousins Maud Angelica Behn and Leah Isadora Behn (although they are in line to the throne and he is not, their situation might be the closest to his as they are also untitled members of the Royal Family expected to live a private life and are of the same generation) also do not seem to be pursuing full-time education or a career job, instead engaging in various reality TV and media projects, influencer and/or modeling work to earn their living.

In terms of parental influence, I do wonder whether Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit shared their experiences with their children. Though there were many reasons why Crown Prince Haakon's choice of Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby as crown princess was somewhat controversial (as you mentioned earlier, disreputable friends and prioritizing partying over education or career in her early adulthood were also criticized), the leading objection from the public was her past of illegal drug use in the upper-class house parties, and it was the one criticism which she was forced to address semi-explicitly in a tearful televised interview. Likewise, when Princess Märtha Louise married Ari Behn, the top concern from the public was his party-drug past. While Marius Borg Høiby is too young to have direct memories of these controversies, plenty of old news articles remain available online and, more importantly, one would think that regardless of their own opinions about drugs, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess would know better than anyone that illegal drug use can be extremely damaging to the reputation of the Royal House and would convey that message to their children.

 

[Snowangel]

It may well have come from a good place but I can tell you no lawyer, nor indeed any HR manager, would see it as a good idea. If she even suggested something like "we can work this out" it could be taken as putting pressure on the victim of an assault to go easier on her son.
It is perhaps a natural reaction of concern yes. I personally also suspect it was to offer support and check she was okay, so done for the best of reasons with the kindest of hearts, but it was a naïve and yes, IMO, silly thing to do.

We have to agree to disagree on this one.

 

[moby]

In terms of parental influence, I do wonder whether Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit shared their experiences with their children. Though there were many reasons why Crown Prince Haakon's choice of Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby as crown princess was somewhat controversial (as you mentioned earlier, disreputable friends and prioritizing partying over education or career in her early adulthood were also criticized), the leading objection from the public was her past of illegal drug use in the upper-class house parties, and it was the one criticism which she was forced to address semi-explicitly in a tearful televised interview. Likewise, when Princess Märtha Louise married Ari Behn, the top concern from the public was his party-drug past. While Marius Borg Høiby is too young to have direct memories of these controversies, plenty of old news articles remain available online and, more importantly, one would think that regardless of their own opinions about drugs, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess would know better than anyone that illegal drug use can be extremely damaging to the reputation of the Royal House and would convey that message to their children.

My goodness, this is giving Euphoria/Elite vibes. The circles these people run in is something else...

I hope Ingrid Alexandra and Sverre Magnus break away from that world.

 

[Hans-Rickard]

It does raises questions about how he has been prepared for adult life… Not just because of the most recent horrible events, but because of the way he seems to have been allowed to live his life without end… Traveling in super luxury, shopping in super luxury, partying with the super rich jetsetters (an environment where drugs and alcohol abuse is really not uncommon) in super luxury, always showing up on the red carpet etc…

Has anyone ever heard of him studying to something or having a longtime work ? Apart from the work that he lost in London (ironically for a magazine about luxury news and lifestyle) i have never heard of him doing something meaningful with his life….

So his behaviour and substance abuse aside (for wich he must accept full responsibility regardless of what the consequences becomes) it does raises questions about how Mette-Marit, Morten and Haakon has raised him and what kind of expectations they have placed on him…

 

[tommy100]

How likely is it he will be given some jail time?
If he goes to jail what support would be in place for his mental disorders?

 

[maria-olivia]

This Man does not deserve so many posts and interrogations. The Justice is doing his work !

 

[LadyFinn]

Now it will not come as a surprise if his blood test tests positive for alcohol and cocaine. Now it will not come as a surprise if he is admitted to detoxification. Now it will not come as a surprise if he were to be sentenced for violence and damage.
(..)

Rystende historie

Det Marius Borg Høiby forteller om sitt liv er hjerteskjærende. Men det er ingen unnskyldning.

www.dagbladet.no

Trond Blindheim is a sociologist and lecturer at Kristiania University College in Oslo and is known as a reputation expert. He thinks Marius' letter will not change anything, Marius will forever be labeled a violent man and cocaine addict.

- Endrer ingen ting

Omdømmeekspert Trond Blindheim mener at Marius for alltid vil følges av stempelet som «voldsmann og kokain-misbruker».

www.seher.no

In the statement Høiby described the victim as his love.
On Wednesday afternoon, Mette Yvonne Larsen, the lawyer assisting the victim, says that the woman has broken up with Høiby.
- As far as I know, they have been lovers. Now there is a breach, says Larsen bluntly to Aftenposten.

Mette Yvonne Larsen bekrefter: – Brudd mellom Høiby og kjæresten

Den fornærmede har gjort det slutt, opplyser bistandsadvokaten.

www.nettavisen.no

 

[Muhler]

The layer of the victim has commented:

Kvinnens bistandsadvokat: - Ikke kjærester

Marius Borg Høiby og den fornærmede kvinnen skal ha snakket sammen etter hendelsen. Men kvinnens advokat, Mette Yvonne Larsen, kjenner ikke igjen at de to er kjærester.

www.dagbladet.no

She says that Marius and the women are not sweethearts: "Last I spoke with my client, they were not sweethearts."

She says Marius and the victim has spoken on the phone since the incident.

She also says that Marius confession and apology was what the victim wished for. The victim is in agreement of how Marius described the incident.

The NRF will not comment on the statement from Marius.

ADDED:

Marius Borg Høiby innrømmer bruk av vold

Kronprinsessens sønn sier han var påvirket av alkohol og kokain da han var voldelig mot en kvinne. Nå vil han i behandling for rusbruk og forklare seg for politiet.

www.aftenposten.no

The victim's layers has also spoken to the newspaper Aftenposten.
"As far as I know they had been sweethearts, now it's a break-up."
She declines to comment on whether Marius has been abusive towards the victim previously.
The victim wish for Marius to be investigated (and interrogated) by the police and leaves further matters in the hands of the court.

 

[hereditarytitles]

It does raise questions about how his parents or other family members have raised him, but we don't know. I would assume that, in their position as members of the royal family, they would have raised him in a proper way. Don't know what would have become of MM and her son if she hadn't met Haakon and had the rare luck to marry into the royal family. As far as we know MM was living a life which certainly was not a good one for raising a child. A single mother, taking drugs, no education , not really having a job. There are lots of single mothers who raise their children in a decent way.
I just cannot picture that once Marius was a part in that family and being raised by MM and Haakon, they would have treated him or cared for him differently than for their shared children, Ingrid and Sverre, who have turned out very well.
I sometimes is just bad luck, why are people prone to taking drugs and others are not? If he has suffered from some kind of mental illness which he seems to admit, it is a pity that it hasn't been treated a long time ago . Psychological disorders whatever they are often go together with drug abuse. These people need help and treatment. Many of them don't even see the necessity of help. That's why his confession, if it is honest and not influenced by his lawyer, is an important step.

 

[Hans-Rickard]

How likely is it he will be given some jail time?
If he goes to jail what support would be in place for his mental disorders?

First time offenders are almost never given the hardest sentence…. But what that means in this case is too early to know… I can imagine that he when a prosecution has started will be throughoutly investigated by a psychiatrist to see if he is a candidate for prison or a candidate for inpatient psychiatric care.. Here in Sweden we have something called ”rättspsykiatrisk vård” wich essentially means that when a person who has committed a crime suffers from a serious mental disorder he/she can be sentenced to undergo inpatient care at a psychiatric ward…. But it’s way to early to know what penalty Marius would get so i don’t want to speculate about that…

If he gets a prison sentence i do not expect it to be for long… But it also depends on what may come into daylight that we still don’t know about

 

[Prinsara]

The problem with psychiatric things in the legal system is usually the issue being “was the perpetrator aware of their actions and are they competent to stand trial” — if not, the person is remanded to legal commitment instead of being tried. That’s not the case here. Marius is obviously dealing with stuff and his brain may not be in great shape. But he knows perfectly well what he did, even if there may not be any trial now.

 

[HenRach Dominion]

The layer of the victim has commented:

Kvinnens bistandsadvokat: - Ikke kjærester

Marius Borg Høiby og den fornærmede kvinnen skal ha snakket sammen etter hendelsen. Men kvinnens advokat, Mette Yvonne Larsen, kjenner ikke igjen at de to er kjærester.

www.dagbladet.no

She says that Marius and the women are not sweethearts: "Last I spoke with my client, they were not sweethearts."

She says Marius and the victim has spoken on the phone since the incident.

She also says that Marius confession and apology was what the victim wished for. The victim is in agreement of how Marius described the incident.

The NRF will not comment on the statement from Marius.

ADDED:

Marius Borg Høiby innrømmer bruk av vold

Kronprinsessens sønn sier han var påvirket av alkohol og kokain da han var voldelig mot en kvinne. Nå vil han i behandling for rusbruk og forklare seg for politiet.

www.aftenposten.no

The victim's layers has also spoken to the newspaper Aftenposten.
"As far as I know they had been sweethearts, now it's a break-up."
She declines to comment on whether Marius has been abusive towards the victim previously.
The victim wish for Marius to be investigated (and interrogated) by the police and leaves further matters in the hands of the court.

This makes me wonder whether or not Marius and the young woman were broken up before the incident or because of it.

Oftentimes in abusive relationships, there's a level of possessiveness that the abuser has for the victim. They will claim, for example, that they're still in a relationship even if the victim has made it clear that the relationship is over.

I'm not saying that this is absolutely the case for Marius, but it's not outside the realm of possibility.

 

[Lady Daly]

It's pretty obvious Marius didn't suddenly develop a drug problem and abusive anger disorder. The fact that he stated in his public apology he has had mental illness and drug problems for some time indicates he acknowledges and is aware of his problems. It was back in 2017 when Mette-Marit announced Marius "won't have a public role and is not a public person". At that time Marius would have been 20. I would think growing up as a member of the NRF makes it more difficult, especially for a young person with mental illness and drug addiction.
Mental illness can be genetic/congenital and not strictly behavioral with an exogenous origin or both. So the reality that the spoiled little boy from a wealthy family goes a lot deeper. Some of you have spoken about his early years before Haakon and Mette-Marit met, what that life was like for a toddler. I see a lot of red flags.

Hopefully Marius's sentence will include treatment for his mental illness, anger disorder and drug abuse. It may also include incarceration. Whatever the legal outcome it's evident he needs a lot of help.

 

[iceflower]

Offensive posts and posts in reply to them have been removed. Please stay respectful towards the people you discuss. Thank you!

 

[Mirabel]

I just cannot picture that once Marius was a part in that family and being raised by MM and Haakon, they would have treated him or cared for him differently than for their shared children, Ingrid and Sverre, who have turned out very well.

Even if they treated him the same way as their shared children, I'd be willing to wager many others did not.
So he'd have all the perks of being part of the RF, yet some would be quick to point out that he himself was not actually royalty. He was probably made well aware of his true status since childhood, and it was bound to have an effect.

 

[kalnel]

This is exactly what I was predicting. He's admitting guilt and throwing himself on the sympathy of the court (and press and public) by highlighting his long-time mental issues and conditions.

As to Mette-Marit calling the victim, she is in damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't position. Had she not called, people would be claiming that her philanthropic interest in domestic violence is not genuine or that she expects "different rules" when something touches her family.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Even if they treated him the same way as their shared children, I'd be willing to wager many others did not.
So he'd have all the perks of being part of the RF, yet some would be quick to point out that he himself was not actually royalty. He was probably made well aware of his true status since childhood, and it was bound to have an effect.

Well, there was the minor controversy in early 2018 (when he was 21 years old) when his then-employer (a British lifestyle magazine) referred to him as a "Norwegian prince" at least three times, which was reported in the Norwegian media. The reaction in Norway was apparently not positive.

Marius Borg Hoiby - Discussions 2003 - 2020

. Marius was pictured at the BRITS official aftershow party hosted by Tempus magazine in London last night, February 21, trying out a Formula E Simulator: ** gettyimages ** gettyimages/zimbio gallery **

www.theroyalforums.com

How likely is it he will be given some jail time?
If he goes to jail what support would be in place for his mental disorders?

I do not have the answers to your questions, but according to this overview of the correctional system:

About the Norwegian Correctional Service - Kriminalomsorgen.no

The task of the Norwegian Correctional Service is to ensure a proper execution of remand and prison sentences, with due regard to the security of all citizens and attempts to prevent recidivism by enabling the offenders, through their own initiatives, to

www.kriminalomsorgen.no

In addition, there is a possibility to serve one’s sentence wholly or partially in a treatment or special care institution when the prison system is unable to deal with the specific type of problems the offender presents, for example with serious addiction.

[...] The average sentence is around 8 months. More than 60 % of unconditional prison sentences are up to 3 months, and almost 90 % is less than a year.

[...] A high number of prisoners have to cope with psychiatric or other mental health difficulties, often combined with addiction problems. The correctional services do not always have the resources and the competency to manage these problems.

[...] Those who are found to have been unaccountable for their deeds because of serious psychiatric disturbances that led to them not being aware of committing a crime in the moment of their actions, may be sentenced to mandatory psychiatric treatment. They will then become the responsibility of the health authorities and not of the correctional service.
​

And according to Norwegian royal expert Trond Norén Isaksen: "The sort of assault with which Høiby has been charged – «kroppskrenkelse» in Norwegian – is punishable by a fine or up to a year in prison, while 30 to 120 days in prison is the usual range of sentences."


On another note, special thanks to LadyFinn for being so thorough in sharing coverage and commentary from the Norwegian media on this important royal news story.