Ari Behn's Life in Photos

The author and former husband of Norwegian Princess Martha Louise died by suicide on Christmas Day
By Sophie Dodd
December 26, 2019 04:20 PM

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Born September 30, 1972, in Århus, Denmark, Ari Behn grew up mostly in Moss, Norway, according to his website. The son of two Waldorf teachers, Behn attended the Waldorf school in Moss where they taught and later earned a bachelor’s degree in history and religion from the University of Oslo.

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A distinguished author, Behn’s debut collection of short stories, Trist som Faen (translated as Sad as Hell), was released in 1999 to great critical acclaim, selling over 100,000 copies. He went on to write two more short story collections, as well as three plays and three novels.

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Behn married into Norway’s royal family in 2002, when he wed Princess Martha Louise. Together, the pair wrote a book about their wedding and welcomed three daughters: Maud Angelica, now 16, Leah Isadora, 14, and Emma Tallulah, 11, before officially divorcing in 2016.

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“We are human,” Princess Martha Louise said in a statement announcing their divorce in August 2016, adding the couple had tried “everything in their power to make the marriage work.”

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“It’s unspeakably sad for both of us to discover that the road ahead doesn’t run as it once did. Like so many others, we’ve grown apart. We’ve tried everything over a long period of time … but it’s impossible for us to go on,” the royal continued in her statement. The two retained joint custody over their three children. “The marriage is over, but we stand together as parents,” she added.

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Ari Behn/ Instagram

A celebrated artist as well as an author, Behn began exhibiting his vibrant art on social media and in gallery shows beginning in July of 2016. Here, he is pictured with one of his prints in December of 2017.

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Ari Behn/ Instagram

In addition to his art and writing, Behn was known for producing a number of TV documentaries with photographer Per Heimly (pictured here, on Behn's right), which followed their travels around the world and earned him a prize for best entertainment series in 2011, according to his website.

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Behn was found dead by suicide on December 25, 2019. He was 47. In a statement issued Wednesday, Princess Martha Louise’s parents, King Harald and Queen Sonja, said Behn was “an important part of our family for many years, and we carry warm, fond memories of him,” according to The Independent.

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The statement continued, “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.”

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

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