Norwegian ambassador resigns as she faces scrutiny over contacts with Epstein

Norwegian ambassador Mona Juul resigns amid scrutiny over contacts with Jeffrey Epstein, raising concerns about judgment and trust.

A Norwegian ambassador who was involved in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts in the 1990s and most recently served in Jordan has resigned as she faces scrutiny over her contacts with Jeffrey Epstein, the country's Foreign Ministry said.

The Ministry announced Mona Juul's resignation on Sunday (February 8, 2026) evening, days after she was suspended as Norway's ambassador to Jordan. That followed reports that Epstein left the children of Ms. Juul and her husband, Terje Rod-Larsen, $10 million in a will drawn up shortly before his death by suicide in a New York prison in 2019.

Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said Ms. Juul's decision was “correct and necessary.” Her contact with the convicted sex offender showed a “serious lapse in judgment,” he said, adding that “the case makes it difficult to restore the trust that the role requires.” A Ministry investigation into Ms. Juul's knowledge of and contact with Epstein will continue, and Ms. Juul will continue discussions with the Ministry “so that the matter can be clarified,” Mr. Eide said.

The Ministry said it also launched a review of its funding of and contact with the International Peace Institute, a New York-based think tank, during the period when Mr. Rod-Larsen headed it. Mr. Eide said Mr. Rod-Larsen also had shown poor judgment regarding Epstein.

Mr. Rod-Larsen and Ms. Juul were among those who facilitated the landmark Oslo Accords aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the 1990s.

Ms. Juul acknowledged in a statement to Norwegian news agency NTB last week that it had been “imprecise” to describe her contact with Epstein as minimal, but said that the contact originated in her husband's relationship with Epstein and she had no independent social or professional relationship with him.