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Melinda French Gates has issued an emotional response to the latest series of allegations involving her ex-husband, Bill Gates, and his past association with Jeffrey Epstein. In a preview of her appearance on NPR’s Wild Card podcast, the philanthropist addressed the shocking reports from unsealed Department of Justice files that alleged Bill Gates had contracted a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and sought to secretly medicate her.
During the interview, French Gates expressed “unbelievable sadness” regarding the new details, which emerged as part of a 3.5-million-page release of Epstein’s communications. One specific email, purportedly written as a draft by Epstein in 2013, alleged that he had assisted Bill Gates in obtaining antibiotics to treat an STI and that the Microsoft co-founder had requested help in providing those drugs to Melinda without her knowledge.
“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,” French Gates told host Rachel Martin. “Whatever questions remain there… those questions are for those people and for even my ex husband. They need to answer to those things, not me.” French Gates, who finalized her divorce from Bill in 2021 after 27 years of marriage, emphasized that she has moved on and is “happy to be away from all the muck.” She noted that while the resurfaced details are personally difficult, her primary focus is on the victims of Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring. She described the situations those young girls were forced into as “beyond heartbreaking” and expressed a hope that they would finally see justice.
For his part, Bill Gates has forcefully denied the allegations. A spokesperson for the billionaire characterized the claims in the files as “absolutely absurd and completely false,” arguing that the emails merely demonstrate Epstein’s “frustration” at being unable to maintain a relationship with Gates and his subsequent desire to “entrap and defame” him.
Despite his denials, Melinda’s latest comments underscore the deep-seated mistrust that fueled their high-profile split. By distancing herself from the controversy, she has signaled that she will no longer serve as a shield for her ex-husband’s past choices.
