“Very painful times in my marriage” MELINDA GATES reacts to ex-husband BILL GATES link to EPSTEIN files

Wednesday, February 4, 2026 - Philanthropist Melinda French Gates has said that reading about her former husband Bill Gates in documents linked to the Jeffrey Epstein case made her deeply sad for the alleged victims and resurfaced painful memories from her marriage.

Melinda spoke about the recent release of documents by the Department of Justice during a promotional interview for a new episode of Wild Card with Rachel Martin.

In the interview, she said no girl should ever be subjected to what she described as a torturous experience at the hands of a powerful figure such as Jeffrey Epstein.

She added that individuals named in the files, including her former husband, must answer questions about their interactions with the convicted s3x offender.

“Whatever questions remain there, 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,” Melinda said.

She explained that details in the documents brought back “memories of some very, very painful times in my marriage. But I have moved on from that. I purposely pushed it away and I moved on,” she added.

Melinda said she is now in what she described as a “very beautiful place” in her life and no longer feels the need to personally address the scandal.

According to her, it is up to Bill Gates and others mentioned in the files to respond to questions about the matter. She said her focus remains on the alleged victims, while distancing herself from further involvement in the controversy.

Melinda and Bill Gates announced their divorce in 2021, though reports have indicated that she began consulting divorce lawyers two years earlier after concerns emerged about her husband’s association with Epstein.

She has previously said she expressed discomfort about Bill Gates’ relationship with Epstein during their marriage.

The latest allegations linked to Bill Gates include claims in a draft email allegedly written by Epstein, suggesting Gates contracted a s3xually transmitted disease from a Russian woman and intended to give Melinda antibiotics without explaining why.

A spokesperson for Bill Gates denied the claims in a statement.

“These claims are absolutely absurd and completely false,” the spokesperson said. “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.”