The name of a Norwegian blonde heiress became a hot subject during the trial of British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, 59, and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Wednesday at New York. During the trial an ex-pilot of Lolita Express claimed that Celine Midelfart, a Norwegian heiress, was one of high profile women who had a romantic relationship with Epstein.
It was also revealed that she once also dated former President Donald Trump. Dave Rogers, a former pilot of Lolita Express, also told the court that Maxwell, who is accused of trafficking underage girls and young women for the Epstein, had an affair with him but they eventually broke off. Maxwell's lawyers, on the other, hand tried to prove that Maxwell and Epstein were never romantically involved. However, Midelfart's name was the one that was the biggest bombshell during Wednesday's trial.
Mysterious Norwegian Heiress
According to Rogers, Midelfart, 48, was among one of the many who was a frequent flyer in Epstein's infamous private jet Lolita Express and even had an affair with him. Midelfart's name came up first on Monday during Rogers' testimony. However, it became a hot topic on Wednesday as it was also revealed that the Norwegian cosmetic heiress once also dated Trump.
During the cross-examination, one of Maxwell's lawyers used the opportunity to ask Rogers more about Midelfart's relationship with the deceased billionaire. This was in a bid to prove that the late pedophile actually was romantically involved with the blonde bombshell and not Maxwell.
It has previously been known through Dagens Næringsliv that Midelfart was a frequent flyer in Epstein's private jet and her name appeared on the flying lists.
When Rodgers was asked on Wednesday if he was aware that Epstein had a romantic relationship with Celina Midelfart around 1996, he answered "yes". Rogers also claimed that he himself had flown Midelfart several times along with Epstein.
Flight logs show she took at least 13 trips on Epstein's private jet.
Bombshell Revelations
Prosecutors tried to prove that Maxwell and Epstein never had any romantic relationship but Rogers claimed the opposite. Rodgers said that Maxwell and Epstein were initially dating but later broke up.
He took the jury through flight logs of Epstein's private plane. Maxwell was on many of those flights, sometimes with Virginia Roberts, who has pursued criminal and civil actions against both Epstein and Maxwell.
He said he flew Roberts a total of 32 times in the early 2000s. He also claimed he flew four flights with Maxwell accuser Jane on board. Log book presented on Wednesday showed trips to exotic locations including to Spain and Morocco in 2001 where Roberts was on board.
Lawyer Christian Everdell asked Rodgers about women who Epstein dated during the 1990s and 2000s. The names included Shelley Lewis, a British woman who dated Epstein between 1999 and 2002 - Rodgers confirmed he thought they had been a couple.
However, it was Midelfart's name that Rogers stressed on. He testified that Epstein and Midelfart were dating around 1996.
Midlefart had however denied the claims earlier. On Wednesday too she debunked the claims calling them a lie.
In an email statement to Norwegian website VG, she wrote: "The claim is untrue. I've never had a relationship with or dated Epstein. I've never had a close relationship with Epstein. He was part of the circle of acquaintances around Donald Trump, of which it is known that I was also a part for a short period. I have not had anything to do with Jeffrey Epstein since 1997."
Interestingly, Midelfart mentioned Trump's name in the mail. She is said to have been the woman that Trump dumped to date Melania Trump, his third wife.
Trump is said to have ended his relationship with Midelfart in 1998, after she had been dating Epstein. Trump supposedly saw Melania at the Kit Kat Club in New York when he was on a night out with Midelfart. The former President reportedly asked her for her number and the former First Lady refused but she eventually agreed.
Midelfart is the billionaire granddaughter of the founder of the Midelfart cosmetics company. She became the company's chairman in 2000. She grew in Oslo and studied at the London School of Economics and NYU. She is now married with a child. Her previous boyfriends include pop star Robbie Williams, Haakon and the Crown Prince of Norway.
