Melinda French Gates revealed she was overwhelmed by an intense sense of sadness after fresh details emerged last week regarding her former husband, Bill Gates, and his connection with Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier convicted of sex crimes. The philanthropic advocate, who finalized her divorce from Gates in 2021, reflected on her reactions during a forthcoming episode of NPR's "Wild Card" podcast, expressing relief at being distanced from the ongoing controversy.
"I am happy to be away from all the muck," French Gates confided in a preview clip. When asked about lingering uncertainties, she stated, "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. They need to answer to those things, not me." The complete interview is slated for release on Thursday, according to NPR.
The relationship between Bill Gates and Jeffrey Epstein has long been documented; however, intensified scrutiny arose following the Department of Justice's recent deposit of over 3 million pages of files tied to the Epstein probe last Friday. Among these pages were unsent draft emails saved in Epstein's account dated 2013, which appear to document emotional grievances directed at Gates. These fragments mention tensions in Gates’ marriage to Melinda at the time, alongside business ventures, concerns about a sexually transmitted infection, and faltering dealings.
Despite the renewed examination, Bill Gates has not been formally accused of any misconduct linked to Epstein. A representative for Gates described the allegations as "absolutely absurd and completely false," emphasizing that the documents only illustrate Epstein's frustration over his lack of ongoing contact with Gates and his attempts to ensnare and defame him.
Bill Gates addressed the newly surfaced documents in an interview with Australia's Nine News. He stated, "Apparently Jeffrey wrote an email to himself. That email was never sent, the email is, you know, false. So I don't know what his thinking was there. It just reminds me, you know, every minute I spent with him I regret and I, you know, apologize that I did that."
He further clarified, "It's factually true that I was only at dinners, you know, I never went to the island. I never met any women. And so, you know, the more that comes out, the more clear it'll be that although the time was a mistake, it had nothing to do with that kind of behavior." This statement underscores his position amid ongoing revelations.
The Epstein files contain numerous prominent figures alongside Gates, and the recent document dump includes many pages heavily redacted. French Gates recounted that reviewing the recent disclosures stirred memories of deeply painful episodes within her marriage. She described the situation for the girls affected by Epstein as "beyond heartbreaking" and "unimaginable," expressing profound empathy.
"I'm able to take my own sadness and look at those young girls and say, my God, how did that happen to those girls?" French Gates remarked. "At least for me, I've been able to move on in life, and I hope there's some justice for those now-women."
Over recent years, Bill Gates has repeatedly voiced remorse regarding his association with Epstein, acknowledging the engagements with regret. While Gates and his foundation have been approached for comment, no further statements have been made public to date.