Ari Behn, Former Kevin Spacey Accuser Married To A Norwegian Princess, Dead By Suicide: What We Know
Rest in peace, Ari Behn.
Getty Images How did Ari Behn die? He was a successful and critically-acclaimed author who, at one time, was married to Norwegian royalty.
Born in Denmark, Behn moved to Norway when he was young, and quickly became known for being a creative dilettante, alternating between working in the fields of literature, fashion, and even modeling.
Unfortunately, in the United States, he became known for another reason: for being one of the many men who accused Kevin Spacey of sexual assault. Let's look at what we know about this man who died too soon in a tragically sad situation.
1. How did Ari Behn die? The cause of death was ruled a suicide.
Behn's official representative released a statement to the press about his suicide on December 26, 2019.
"It is with great sadness in our hearts that we, the very closest relatives of Ari Behn, must announce that he took his own life today. We ask for respect for our privacy in the time to come," said Geir Håkonsund, the Behn family representative, who added that Behn took his own life on Christmas Day.
2. He was married to Princess Märtha Louise of Norway.
It bears stating that Princess Märtha Louise of Norway was a "constitutional" princess — that is to say, like the rest of Norway's royal family, her title was ceremonial and representative. Additionally, the Princess' children with Behn — daughters Maud, Leah, and Emma — didn't have royal titles in front of their name. Regardless, Behn was married to the Princess from 2002 until 2017.
3. Behn's marriage into the Norwegian royal family was met with criticism.
Though he was talented and revered as a multi-genre artist, Behn's marriage into the Norwegian royal family was met with resistance from the day it happened.
Shortly after he married the Princess, he filed a travelogue from Las Vegas, NV, and let's just say that what happened in Vegas didn't stay in Vegas, as the travelogue showed him hanging around prostitutes doing cocaine. Though the Princess defended him, his image in the public eye was forever tainted.
4. He accused Kevin Spacey of groping him.
In 2017, Behn went on Norwegian radio to tell of Kevin Spacey's attack on him. According to Behn, he and Spacey were at a nightclub in 2007, celebrating at a Nobel Peace Prize after-party.
Spacey allegeldy invited him outside for a cigarette, before reaching between his legs and grabbing him by the testicles. Behn brushed it off and said "maybe later" before leaving the party.
5. Behn is the third Spacey accuser to die in 2019.
In what can only be described as a creepy turn of events, it was revealed that Behn was the third Spacey abuser to die in 2019. He is also the second Spacey alleged abuse victim to die in the past three months.
The first victim, Linda Culkin, was killed after she was hit by a car in Massachusetts; the two men, Behn and "John Doe," died by suicide.
6. What about the creepy video Spacey uploaded the day before Behn's death?
For the second year, Kevin Spacey released a cryptic video as Frank Underwood, his character in House of Cards, who was killed off in the final season. In this year's creepy video, Spacey makes what seems like a threat to his accusers — and its timing has conspiracy theories flying.
In the video, Spacey as Underwood says, "As we walk into 2020, I want to cast my vote for more good in this world. Ah yes, I know what you’re thinking. Can he be serious? I’m dead serious. And it’s not that hard, trust me. 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. You can kill them with kindness.”
The timing and wording of the video is... interesting, to say the least.
Regardless, our thoughts are with Ari Behn and his family during this difficult time.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, publicist, and photographer whose work has appeared in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, BET.com, and more.