Melinda French Gates has spoken publicly after newly released private communications connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein included explicit allegations involving her ex-husband, Bill Gates. The billionaire philanthropist is among several powerful figures referenced in millions of pages of documents released by the U.S. Justice Department, reigniting scrutiny around Epstein’s connections.
In an interview on NPR’s Wild Card podcast, French Gates said the disclosures were deeply painful and made it clear that any unanswered questions belong to those named in the files, not her.
According to emails written by Epstein, Bill Gates allegedly sought his assistance to arrange encounters with married women. In the same communications, Epstein also claimed that Gates asked for antibiotics to treat a sexually transmitted infection he said resulted from sex with Russian women.
One particularly graphic email alleged that Gates wanted Epstein to secretly provide the medication so it could be given to Melinda French Gates without her knowledge. Epstein described the request as an attempt to conceal the situation from her entirely.
“These details are personally hard whenever they come up,” French Gates said during the interview, explaining that they bring back memories of what she described as very painful moments in her marriage.
She added that whatever questions remain surrounding the allegations are for those involved to answer. “They need to answer to those things, not me,” she said.
A spokesperson for Bill Gates strongly denied the allegations contained in the emails, calling them absurd and completely false. The statement said the documents demonstrate Epstein’s frustration over not having an ongoing relationship with Gates and accused Epstein of attempting to entrap and defame him.
The spokesperson emphasized that the claims come solely from Epstein’s communications and are not supported by independent evidence.
French Gates said the release of the documents filled her with sadness, not only for herself but for the girls who were exploited by Epstein. She reflected on the contrast between her own ability to move on and the lasting harm suffered by Epstein’s victims.
“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?” she said.
While her former marriage is once again part of a public conversation, French Gates positioned herself firmly outside the responsibility of explaining or defending allegations tied to Epstein, focusing instead on accountability and justice for those harmed.