'Painful': Melinda reacts to ex-husband Bill Gates in Epstein files
What's the story
Melinda French Gates, the ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, has spoken out about her former husband's name being mentioned in new Jeffrey Epstein files. On an NPR podcast, she said it brought back "painful times in my marriage." She expressed "unbelievable sadness" over the allegations and noted that those named in the records, including her ex-husband, need to address them. "They need to answer to those things, not me," she said.
Allegations revealed
Allegations and denials
The United States Justice Department's released records include an allegation by Epstein that Bill contracted a sexually transmitted disease from Russian girls and tried to secretly give his then-wife, Melinda, antibiotics. However, this claim has been dismissed as "absolutely absurd and completely false" by a spokesperson for Bill. Notably, no allegations of wrongdoing have been made against him by any of Epstein's victims.
Personal impact
'Happy to be away from all the muck'
In the same podcast, Melinda also said she is "happy to be away from all the muck" after their divorce in 2021. On her divorce, she said she felt she had no other choice. "I had to leave my marriage, I felt I had to eventually leave the foundation, so it's just sad," she said. "At least I've been able to move on in life and now I hope there's some justice for those women."
Past concerns
Gates's ties to Epstein
US media reported that before their divorce, Melinda had been upset with her husband's ties to Epstein. After the divorce announcement, Bill admitted to having an affair with a Microsoft employee in 2019. Over time, he has downplayed his connection with Epstein, saying they only had "several dinners" about a philanthropy project that never materialized. While the pair initially pledged to continue their philanthropic work together, Melinda resigned from the Gates Foundation in 2024.
Case conclusion
Death of Jeffrey Epstein
Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. Millions of Epstein-related files have been released since a law mandated their release last year, including three million pages, 180,000 images and 2,000 videos last Friday. On Tuesday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said it has taken down thousands of Epstein-related documents from its website after victims complained that their identities had been compromised due to faulty redactions in the files.