"Lene Nystrøm and Morten Harket are an item... according to MTV"

Aqua-Lene and Morten Harket have been presented as a new couple by MTV.  
In a news bulletin on the world's most important music channel Monday 
night, it was said that Aqua-Lene Nystrøm and Morten Harket "are dating" 
- and have been doing so for a month.  

A spokesman for Morten Harket confirms that the two Norwegian pop stars 
have met several times, but claims that the meetings have been purely 
business - and that the other members of Aqua have also been present.

"Aqua has asked Morten for advice," says spokesman Atle Kigen.

The news of the "dates" came on MTV News at 11 pm Minday and was 
broadcast to millions of TV viewers all over Europe.

"Big Kiss"

Lene Nystrøm and Morten Harket met for the first time at the Spellemann 
show April third.  She thought they were supposed to present the "Artist 
of the Year" award together.  And was therefore almost speechless when it 
turned out that she was to be honored with a special award.

On live TV she took the chance to do something she has said she had 
always dreamed of doing: to give Morten a big kiss.

But it was only a little, innocent TV flirt.

>From MTV Sweden, VG has heard that the sources for the claims of "dating" 
are said to be dependable.

Atle Kigen av Geelmuyden Kiese Forlag however explains on Harket's behalf 
that what kind of "dating" is really going on:

On the evening of the Spellemann show the two stars said to VG that they 
were probably too busy with their own things to do anything musical 
together.  But now they have set up a kind of cooperation:

"Morten Harket has had several meetings with Lene and the rest of Aqua 
the last two or three weeks in London.  They have asked Morten for 
advice, they wanted him to share his experiences with them," explains 
Kigen.  He is one of Harket's strategic partners for the a-ha star's next 
album.  

"Just like Morten and a-ha, Lene and Aqua are Scandinavian artists who 
came from the great unknown and became successful.  Both have sold 
millions of albums," Kigen adds.

"Don't Bother With That"

The band's members took the initiative for a meeting with Harket.  
Contact was made before the Spellemann show, but they were unable to meet 
until after the ceremony.

"Morten has gotten to know the whole band," says Atle Kigen.

Aqua's press secretary Sallie Mortensen says to VG that they are 
unfamiliar with the bulletin from MTV.

"We don't bother with who Lene goes out with.  It just isn't any of our 
business.  Therefore we will have no comment on this matter," says 
Mortensen, who can tell us that Lene Nystrøm is living in England at the 
moment.

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(From VG, April 29, 1998 - translation by Cindy)