Los Angeles: Norwegian author Ari Behn, who was one of the people to accuse Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey of sexual misconduct, has committed suicide, his family’s spokesman Geir Hakonsund said. He was 47.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hakonsund shared the news in a statement to Norwegian paper VG.
“It’s with great sorrow in our hearts that we, those closest to Ari Behn, must report that he took his own life today. We ask for respect for our private lives in the time to come,” he said.
Further details related to his death have not yet been ascertained.
Behn was the ex-husband of Norway’s Princess Martha Louise, whom he married in 2002. The couple parted ways in 2016.
He shared three daughters with Princess Martha Louise — Maud Angelica, 16; Leah Isadora, 14; and Emma Tallulah, 11.
As an author, Behn was best known for penning the short story collection ‘Sad as Hell’. He was also an equally successful artiste and playwright.
In 2017, he had accused Spacey of groping him at a concert for the Nobel Peace Prize 10 years ago. He said the actor had reached under a table and inappropriately touched him.
Spacey, who was facing similar accusations from many people, never responded to the allegation.
In a statement, Norway’s King Harald and Queen Sonja called Behn “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,” the statement read.
PTI
