'Memories Of Very Painful Times In My Marriage': Melinda Gates On Newly Released Epstein Emails

Last Updated:February 04, 2026, 09:06 IST

Melinda French Gates said that fresh disclosures linked to Jeffrey Epstein filled her with “unbelievable sadness,” reopening painful memories from her marriage.

File photos of Melinda Gates/Bill Gates (AP)

Melinda French Gates has said renewed revelations about disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein left her with “unbelievable sadness," recalling painful moments from her marriage to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, while stressing that she has moved forward with her life.

Her comments came days after reports claimed Epstein accused Bill Gates of asking for antibiotics to treat a sexually transmitted disease and to delete correspondence on the matter, allegations Gates has denied through a spokesperson, calling them “absolutely absurd and completely false."

It was also alleged that Bill asked for antibiotics to give to his then-wife, Melinda, secretly.

The outlets, however, underlined that the assertions were unverified and appeared in unsent drafts.

US reports also claimed Epstein made similar claims in documents released as part of the DOJ disclosure, again noting that Gates’s representatives rejected the allegations outright.

Speaking in a recent interview with NPR, Melinda reflected on the reckoning triggered by alleged disclosures linked to Epstein and the people around him, including Bill Gates.

“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. No girl. I mean, it’s just, it’s beyond heartbreaking," she said.

She added that reading about the victims brought back memories of her own daughters at similar ages.

“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, but I have moved on from that."

US authorities had released a massive tranche of Epstein-related material earlier this week, part of records made public by the United States Department of Justice.

British tabloids and US media outlets subsequently published extracts they said came from draft emails Epstein allegedly wrote in 2013.

“QUESTIONS ARE FOR OTHERS TO ANSWER"

In the NPR interview, Melinda said unresolved questions belonged to others.

“So, whatever questions remain there of what I don’t, 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," she said.

She added that she was relieved to be removed from the controversy.

“And I am so happy to be away from all the muck," she said.

Asked about her dominant emotion when following the coverage, Melinda replied, “Just unbelievable sadness. And again, 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, right? And so, for me, it’s just sadness."

MOVING ON AND HOPING FOR JUSTICE

Melinda also spoke about the toll the situation took on her personally, saying, “Sadness for, you know, 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."

At the same time, she emphasised that she has reached a new phase in life.

“I’m in a really unexpected, beautiful place in my life," she said, adding that she hoped accountability would ultimately come for Epstein’s victims.

“I hope there’s some justice for those now women, right? We see them standing up in front of microphones in DC. What they went through is just unimaginable, I think."

Epstein had allegedly threatened to expose Gates’ affair with Russian bridge player Mila Antonova in 2017, purportedly because Bill wouldn’t join a charitable fund the financier began with JP Morgan Chase, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.

News world 'Memories Of Very Painful Times In My Marriage': Melinda Gates On Newly Released Epstein Emails

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