Melinda French Gates has said the appearance of her former husband, Bill Gates, in newly released records linked to Jeffrey Epstein has revived deeply painful memories from their marriage.
Speaking on NPR’s Wild Card, Melinda said she feels “unbelievable sadness” over the allegations surrounding Epstein and stressed that those named in the documents must answer for themselves.
“For me, it’s personally hard whenever those details come up,” she said. “It brings back memories of some very, very painful times in my marriage. Whatever questions remain there… those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband. They need to answer to those things, not me.”
The couple divorced in 2021 after 27 years of marriage.
The latest document release by the U.S. Department of Justice includes emails Epstein appeared to draft in 2013 alleging Bill Gates sought treatment for a sexually transmitted disease. Gates has categorically denied the claim, calling it “absolutely absurd and completely false,” with his spokesperson saying the messages only show Epstein’s frustration and attempts to defame him.
Bill Gates has not been accused of wrongdoing by Epstein’s victims, and his inclusion in the files does not imply criminal activity.
Melinda also said she is relieved to be removed from what she described as “all the muck.” U.S. media have previously reported that she was troubled by Gates’s association with Epstein before their separation. After their split, Gates acknowledged having had an affair with a Microsoft employee in 2019.
The disputed emails were sent from Epstein’s account to itself and show no visible Gates email address, leaving it unclear whether they were ever delivered. Gates has maintained that his interactions with Epstein were limited to a few dinners about a philanthropy project that never materialized.
Epstein died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
