Ion Nicola, a Romanian painter, worked for nearly a decade for Jeffrey Epstein, describing him as a cheerful man. He considers the sexual scandal to be exaggerated.

Ion Nicola, a Romanian painter, had a long-standing professional relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, for whom he worked between 2010 and 2019. In an interview, Nicola describes Epstein as a pleasant man and without flaws, considering the sexual scandal he was involved in to be exaggerated and politically motivated. Recent documents published by the U.S. Department of Justice confirm that Nicola was mentioned over 2,500 times in Epstein's correspondence, having a direct relationship with him. Although he spent a lot of time on Epstein's private islands, Nicola claims that he did not witness parties with minors, stating that the atmosphere was different during the period he worked for Epstein. He also acknowledged that his work was financially motivated and did not identify with Epstein's lifestyle. His partner intervened in the interview, expressing concerns about the possible consequences of his statements.