Melinda French Gates, the former wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, has spoken publicly for the first time about her mention in the Jeffrey Epstein files and the fresh allegations linked to her ex-husband.
She described the episode as “very painful” and said she has moved on after her divorce.
Speaking on a recent podcast, Melinda said that any questions arising from the Epstein files should be answered by those accused.
“For me, it’s personally hard whenever those details come up, because it brings back memories of some very, very painful times in my marriage,” she said. “But I have moved on from that. I purposely pushed it away and moved on. I’m in a really unexpected, beautiful place in my life.”
When asked specifically about a draft email allegedly written by Jeffrey Epstein in 2013—claiming that Bill Gates had contracted a sexually transmitted disease after sexual encounters with Russian women and tried to hide it—Melinda reacted with visible emotion.
“Just unbelievable sadness,” she said. “It’s just sadness. I left my marriage. I had to leave my marriage. I wanted to leave my marriage.”
She added that her thoughts were also with the young women mentioned in the broader Epstein case.
“To look at those young girls and say, ‘My God, how did that happen to them?’ I’ve been able to move on in life, and I hope there’s some justice for those now women,” she said.
Melinda and Bill Gates announced their divorce in May 2021 after 27 years of marriage. They have three children together.
Bill Gates’ name has appeared in recently released Epstein-related documents, including photographs showing him with Epstein at undisclosed locations.
However, a spokesperson for Bill Gates has strongly denied the allegations, calling them “absolutely absurd,” and said the emails reflect Epstein’s frustration over not having an ongoing relationship with Gates and an attempt to defame him.