Philanthropist Melinda French Gates says newly released documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein have brought back “very, very painful” periods from her marriage, after the files referenced her former husband, Bill Gates. Speaking on NPR’s “Wild Card” podcast, she added that everyone named—“including my former husband”—owes the public clear answers.
French Gates, who divorced Bill Gates in 2021 after 27 years, said she feels “relief” to be out of what she called a damaging chapter, but emphasized that lingering questions are for those directly implicated to address. “It’s their responsibility to answer, not mine,” she said.
The renewed scrutiny follows the United States Department of Justice’s release of a large cache of Epstein-related materials, which include draft emails found in Epstein’s account. Some drafts purport to reference allegations about Gates; it is unclear whether any were ever sent. A spokesperson for Gates rejected the claims as “baseless and false,” and none of Epstein’s accusers has alleged misconduct by Gates.
U.S. media have previously reported that French Gates was uncomfortable with her husband’s past contacts with Epstein. Bill Gates has said he met Epstein a handful of times to discuss a philanthropic idea that never materialized, and he has acknowledged an unrelated consensual relationship with a Microsoft employee years before the couple’s split.
French Gates reiterated that she will not speak for others named in the files. “What remains unanswered isn’t mine to fill in,” she said, adding that the disclosures inevitably reopen difficult memories even as she focuses on her current work and life. Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.