Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit refuses to name friend who introduced her to Jeffrey Epstein

Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit has declined to identify the mutual acquaintance who introduced her to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, despite widespread reports naming the individual as Boris Nikolic, a former advisor to Bill Gates.

The princess addressed her past association with Epstein in a Friday interview with Norwegian broadcaster NRK, acknowledging she was introduced through “a good friend” but refusing to disclose their name. “I will not give out names or try to blame others,” she stated. “I must be allowed to keep my integrity. I do not speak about others, and I will not do so in this interview.”

Nikolic, a longtime advisor to Gates and investor in biotech startups, has been previously identified in released Epstein documents as the intermediary. Emails from 2011 show Nikolic telling Epstein he would introduce him to the princess around March 20 that year, describing her as “great” and “twisted.”

Harald Stanghelle, a royal commentator for Aftenposten, told NRK the princess’s silence aligns with an “honor code” within the royal household. “There’s a kind of code that you don’t talk about your friends,” he explained, adding that the family must protect their private sphere. “Everyone who has read the Epstein papers knows who this friend is… but they want to shield those in their private circle.”

The NRK interview marked the princess’s first public remarks on her ties to Epstein, whom she described as having manipulated and deceived her. Critics, however, have called her responses evasive, particularly her inability to recall details about her initial research into Epstein or the content of their exchanges.