Melinda French Gates Responds To Bill Gates’ Mention In Epstein Records

Melinda French Gates, ex-wife of Bill Gates, said she felt “unbelievable sadness” after new records emerged last week about Bill Gates’ association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a preview video for NPR’s Wild Card podcast, she described the revelations as bringing back “very, very painful” memories from her marriage and said she was “happy to be away from all the muck” amid the controversy.

Last week, the US Department of Justice released more than three million documents related to Epstein, including some referencing Bill Gates. According to the files, Epstein alleged that Gates contracted a sexually transmitted infection, a claim Gates has denied, calling it “absolutely absurd”. There are no allegations of wrongdoing against Gates from Epstein’s victims, and his mention in the documents does not imply criminal involvement. Gates has previously expressed regret for spending time with Epstein.

The records include two draft emails dated 18 July 2013, found in Epstein’s account. It is unclear if these emails were ever sent to Gates. One draft, addressed “Dear Bill”, criticises Gates for ending a friendship and references claims about an attempted concealment of a sexually transmitted infection. Gates’ email address does not appear in the drafts, and the sender of the messages is unknown.