Ari Behn, 47, who was married to Norwegian Princess Martha Louise from 2002 to 2017, died by suicide on Christmas Day, it was reported.
Notably, he accused longtime actor Kevin Spacey of sexual misconduct at a Nobel Peace Prize event in 2007.
“It is with great sadness in our hearts that I on behalf of the very closest relatives of Ari Behn must announce that he took his own life today,” Behn’s manager, Geir Hakonsund,
told Norway Today.
The Royal House of Norway also offered a statement about his death.
“It is with great sadness the Queen and I have received the news of Ari Behn’s passing,” the King said in a statement,
E! Online reported. “Ari has been an important part of our family for many years, and we carry warm, fond memories of him. We are grateful that we got to know him. We grieve that our grandchildren have now lost their beloved father and have deep compassion for his parents and siblings, who have now lost their beloved son and brother.”
His death comes a day after Spacey released a video on YouTube, titled “KTWK (Kill Them With Kindness).” Spacey is seen stoking a fire near a fireplace and appears to have the same accent as his character, Frank Underwood, in Netflix’s “House of Cards.”
“I know what you’re thinking. Can he be serious? ‘I’m dead serious,’”
Spacey says in the video as he looks straight at the camera—similar to how his character would break the “fourth wall” and speak to the viewers in “House of Cards.”
“The next time someone does something you don’t like, you can go on the attack, but you can also hold your fire and do the unexpected,” said the Oscar winner. “You can kill them with kindness.”
As reported by Fox, Spacey never responded to Behn’s allegation of misconduct.
Behn, who worked as an author and playwright,
told the BBC in 2017 that Spacey made an untoward advance at the Nobel Peace Prize event.
Martha Louise, 48, is the daughter of King Harald and Queen Sonja. She is fourth in line to the throne.
Suicide Hotlines
If you are in an emergency in the United States or Canada, please call 911. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1 800 273 8255. Youth can call the Kids Help Phone on 1800 668 6868.In the United Kingdom, call Samaritans at 116 123, Papyrus at 0800 068 41 41, or Childline at 0800 1111.
In Australia, the suicide prevention hotline at Lifeline is 13 11 14. You can also visit the Lifeline website at lifeline.org.au. Youth can contact the Kids Helpline by phoning 1800 551 800 or visiting headspace.org.au/yarn-safe
If you are in an emergency in India, call Befrienders India – National Association at +91 33 2474 4704.
