The program, a travel documentary of sorts from Las Vegas, was initially shown on urban television station Metropol last February and stirred little reaction at the time. But Behn was later linked romantically to Norway's princess, and the picture changed, literally.
Nationwide commercial station TV2 replayed excerpts from the show last month that appeared to show on-air drug use in Behn's presence. The footage sparked outcry and put more pressure on Norway's royal family, already dealing with unaccustomed criticism following the crown prince's engagement to a single mother whose former lover was convicted on cocaine charges.
Metropol, however, has claimed the footage shown on TV2 was taken out of context and it therefore planned to rebroadcast the entire "travel documentary from Las Vegas," complete with a panel of commentators that was supposed to include Behn himself. Other commentators included Anne Bleiklie from Youth Against Narcotics and the chief executive of Metropol.
But Behn apparently got cold feet. Metropol said Tuesday afternoon that Behn "chose to pull out" shortly before taping was to begin.
Metropol expressed its regrets at Behn's decision. There was no word whether Behn acted under pressure from the Royal Palace.
Princess Märtha Louise, meanwhile, flew off to South America Tuesday on a goodwill tour to visit foreign aid missions. She remains in the center of media debate, especially after she went on state broadcaster NRK over the Easter weekend and blasted a report in weekly magazine "Se og Hør," calling the magazine the Norwegian equivalent of a gossip rag and accusing it of printing lies. "Se og Hør" stands by its report that the princess' mother, Queen Sonja, is not happy with her daughter's new romance.
The princess' unusual attack was branded "unwise" by some media observers, while others said she had a right to be angry. An editorial in the wildly popular "Se og Hør," which had a pressrun of 700,000 for its special Easter edition, claimed that since the princess "is a grown woman, she may think she can hop in the sack with whomever she wants. She has apparently done that."
The head of Norway's press association, Per Edgar Kokkvold, called the editorial "vulgar" but also conceded it was fascinating because the magazine "has well-developed antennae" for what strikes a chord with Norwegians.
If the magazine feels comfortable writing such things, Kokkvold told newspaper Aftenposten, it means the magazine doesn't fear a drop in sales, "and that probably says more about the monarchy's weakening position than the latest opinion polls."
Aftenposten Interactive English Desk
Nina Berglund
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