Daniel Ducruet, the ex-husband of Princess Stephanie of Monaco, has spoken publicly for the first time about the 1995 scandal that ended his marriage. In an interview with Italian broadcaster RAI, Ducruet claimed he was drugged and set up in a honeytrap involving a glamour model.
Ducruet was photographed engaging in sexual acts with Muriel 'Fili' Mol-Houteman, who had been crowned 'Miss Bare Breasts of Belgium' that year. The images were published by Italian tabloids, leading to his divorce from Princess Stephanie after just 14 months of marriage.
Ducruet alleged that he was tricked while looking after a friend's girlfriend. He said they were offered wine laced with substances, and a paparazzo was ready to capture the scene. He also claimed to have received an anonymous phone call saying, 'You were having too much fun. Now you're dead.'
He immediately told his wife, who was in tears. Despite his efforts to stop publication, the images were released three days later, sparking a global media frenzy. Ducruet fled to Morocco and was subsequently shunned by the royal family.
Ducruet pursued a criminal complaint, and in 2000, Mol-Houteman was found guilty of breaching France's privacy laws for setting up the encounter with a photographer accomplice. Ducruet said he sought justice so his children would know he was a victim, not just a man who cheated.
Ducruet and Princess Stephanie had two children, Louis and Pauline, who were three and two at the time. They later divorced, and Ducruet remarried in 2018.
