Melinda French Gates says Epstein files resurface painful marital memories

Philanthropist Melinda French Gates has publicly stated that the release of documents naming her ex-husband, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, in connection with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has brought back difficult memories from her marriage.

In an interview with NPR’s Wild Card podcast, French Gates said the newly released files dredged up “very, very painful times in my marriage.” She expressed “unbelievable sadness” about the Epstein allegations but emphasized that the individuals named must answer for themselves.

“For me, it’s personally hard whenever those details come up, right? Because it brings back memories of some very, very painful times in my marriage,” she told the podcast. “Whatever questions remain… those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband. They need to answer to those things, not me.”

The comments follow the U.S. Department of Justice’s release last week of more than three million documents related to Epstein. Among them are draft emails from 2013, allegedly authored by Epstein, which make unverified claims about Bill Gates. The emails, whose authenticity and whether they were ever sent are unclear, contain allegations that Gates’ representatives have vehemently denied.

A spokesperson for Bill Gates labeled the claims “absolutely absurd and completely false,” attributing them to a “proven, disgruntled liar.” The spokesperson added that the documents only show “Epstein’s frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame.”

Bill Gates has not been accused of any criminal activity by Epstein’s victims. He has previously stated his association with Epstein was limited to “several dinners” discussing philanthropy.

U.S. media reports have long suggested that Melinda French Gates was deeply troubled by her then-husband’s ties to Epstein prior to their divorce in 2021, after 27 years of marriage. Since the split, Bill Gates has acknowledged a past affair with a Microsoft employee.

The latest documents are part of a trove that outlines Epstein’s extensive network of powerful associates, which he maintained even after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Epstein died in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.