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Melinda French Gates reflects on painful marriage as Bill faces new scrutiny over Epstein ties: ‘Happy to be away from…’

Melinda French Gates reacted to Epstein's emails about Bill Gates, describing the situation as heartbreaking.

Published on: Feb 3, 2026, 23:50:54 IST
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Melinda French Gates has reacted to newly disclosed emails from sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that mentioned her former husband, Bill Gates, who has long struggled with his connection to the disgraced financier.

Melinda French Gates comments on new emails from Jeffrey Epstein implicating Bill Gates, who refutes the claims. (AFP)
Melinda French Gates comments on new emails from Jeffrey Epstein implicating Bill Gates, who refutes the claims. (AFP)

The documents — which were released by the U Department of Justice last week — contain years-old draft emails that Epstein wrote to himself, in which he claimed that the Microsoft co-founder contracted a sexually transmitted infection from "Russian girls" and subsequently sought Epstein's assistance.

“To add insult to the injury you then subsequently with tears in your eyes, implore me to please delete the emails regarding your std, your request that I provide you antibiotics that you can surreptitiously give to Melinda, and the description of your pe***," states an email dated July 18, 2013.

In a statement to People, representative for Bill, 70, described Epstein's allegations as “completely false”.

“The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein’s frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame,” the spokesperson stated.

Bill’s ex-wife, with whom he has three children, recently appeared in an episode of NPR's Wild Card podcast, where she addressed the recent allegations against Bill.

Also Read: Epstein had a secret ‘baby boy’ 15 years ago, claims Sarah Ferguson in bombshell email

Here's what Melinda French Gates said

When host Rachel Martin sought Melinda's reaction to the mention of ex-husband in the latest batch of Epstein documents, she stated that “it is beyond heartbreaking,” People reported.

She discussed the broader implications of Epstein's misconduct towards women and young girls, as well as his extensive network of influential men. She further reflected on her own marriage.

“I think we're having a reckoning as a society, right? No girl, no girl should ever be put in the situation that they were put in by Epstein and whatever was going on with all of the various people around him,” the philanthropist said.

“It's beyond heartbreaking, right? I remember being those ages those girls were, I remember my daughters being those ages,” she remarked.

“So 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 continued. “But I have moved on from that.”

She went on to say that her ex-husband needs “to answer” all the questions, adding that “I am so happy to be away from all the muck that was there.”

Bill has earlier described his past encounters with Epstein as a misjudgment and stated that he was “foolish to spend any time” with the person, asserting that he was in pursuit of charitable assistance.

He has not faced any allegations of criminal activity or misconduct related to Epstein's offenses.

  • Shweta Kukreti
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shweta Kukreti

    Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

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