Melinda French Gates reacted emotionally to mentions of ex-husband Bill Gates in newly released Jeffrey Epstein files, saying unresolved questions should be answered by those involved and recalling “very, very painful” memories from their marriage
Melinda French Gates has broken her silence after newly released documents linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein mentioned her ex-husband, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, drawing an emotional response about her past marriage and the broader implications of the files.
In an interview on NPR’s Wild Card podcast, Bill Gates’ former wife said it was “personally hard whenever those details come up, right? Because it brings back memories of some very, very painful times in my marriage.” She added that questions raised by the files should be addressed by those involved, including Bill Gates himself.
“Whatever questions remain there of what — I can’t even begin to know all of it — those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband,” she said. “They need to answer to those things, not me.”
MELINDA GATES: “Sad. Just unbelievable sadness. Unbelievable sadness… It’s just sadness. I left my marriage. I had to leave my marriage. I wanted to leave my marriage. I felt I needed to eventually leave the foundation. So it’s just sad…” pic.twitter.com/6y2yKe1dDU
— The PATRIOT 🇺🇲 (@pol_scientistUS) February 3, 2026
Bill Gates neck-deep in allegations
The remarks came as part of a broader discussion about the roughly 3 million pages of Epstein’s personal communications released by the US Justice Department, which included references to Gates. Epstein’s emails allege, among other things, that Gates sought his help to arrange encounters and secure medication for a sexually transmitted infection from “sex with Russian girls,” although there is no indication the emails were ever sent or endorsed.
A spokesperson for Bill Gates told NPR that the claims in the documents were “absolutely absurd and completely false,” and that the files show only Epstein’s frustration at not having an ongoing relationship with the tech leader.
French Gates, who divorced Gates in 2021 after 27 years of marriage, said the resurrection of these details brought “unbelievable sadness” and recalled “very, very painful times” from that period of her life.
It is worth noting that the Trump administration had first opposed releasing the full set of Epstein files, but reversed course under bipartisan pressure, including from allies on the Republican Party’s right wing. The Justice Department said it could not make all the documents public before December 19, citing the need to redact material to protect victims’ identities.
End of Article
