‘Painful times in my marriage’: Melinda Gates reacts to Bill Gates being named in Epstein Files

The documents, which reportedly include emails purportedly linked to Epstein, allege that Gates contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD) following relationships with Russian women and attempted to conceal the infection from his then wife, Melinda French Gates, by secretly seeking antibiotics. The claims remain unsubstantiated and have not been independently verified.

Responding to the developments, Melinda French Gates said the resurfacing of such details has been personally distressing and has brought back memories of “painful times” from her marriage.

Speaking to American public broadcaster National Public Radio (NPR), Melinda said, “I think we’re having a reckoning as a society. No girl should ever be put in the situation that they were put in by Epstein and whatever was going on with all of the various people around him. It’s beyond heartbreaking.”

“So for me it’s personally hard whenever those details come up because it brings back memories of some very painful times in my marriage. But I have moved on from that. Whatever questions remain are for those people — and for even my ex-husband — to answer, not me. I am happy to be away from all the muck that was there,” she added.

Asked about her dominant emotion after learning of the revelations, Melinda said it was “sadness”.

“Just unbelievable sadness. When I think of those young girls and what they went through, it’s unimaginable. I’ve been able to move on in life, and I hope there is justice for those women who are standing up and telling their stories,” the philanthropist-businesswoman-author said.

Responding sharply to the allegations, a spokesperson for Bill Gates dismissed them as “absolutely absurd and completely false”.

The spokesperson told the Daily Mail, as quoted by India Today, that the documents merely reflect Epstein’s frustration over not having an ongoing relationship with Gates and represent alleged attempts to entrap and defame him.

Meanwhile, the US Justice Department said it has released more than three million pages of investigative material related to Epstein, including documents, photographs and videos, as part of ongoing disclosures.