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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Zara Woodcock

Bill Gates' ex-wife claims his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein was factor in split

Bill Gates' ex-wife Melinda French Gates slammed him for his friendship with 'abhorrent' Jeffrey Epstein.

In May 2021, Melinda and Bill released a joint statement announcing their decision to divorce, ending 27 years of marriage.

Discussing their split after 34 years as a couple, she said they remained 'friendly' but were 'not friends'.

Melinda went on to say she had made her feelings on paedophile financier Jeffrey known to her husband.

"It was not one thing, it was many things. I did not like that he had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein," she said. "I made that clear to him."

Speaking to CBS Mornings, she went on to say that she insisted on meeting Jeffrey.

"I also met Jeffrey Epstein exactly one time. I wanted to see who this man was and I regretted it from the second I stepped in the door.

Melinda questioned his friendship with Jeffrey (Romuald Meigneux/Sipa/REX/Shutterstock)

"He was abhorrent, evil personified. I had nightmares about it afterwards. That's why my heart breaks for these young women.

"That's how I felt, and I am an older woman. He was awful."

The interview - which was filmed at Melinda's new company, Pivotal Ventures, in Seattle - also had her telling host Gayle King that questions on the Microsoft founder's friendship with the disgraced Jeffrey was for him to answer.

"Any of the questions remaining about what Bill's relationship with him was... those are for Bill to answer. I made it very clear how I felt about him."

Mirror have contacted Bill's reps for comment.

In a statement, Bill said of meeting the disgraced billionaire: "Meeting with Epstein was a mistake that I regret deeply. It was a substantial error in judgment.

"I remain dedicated to my work at the Gates Foundation in partnership with Melinda, where our focus is to help reduce global inequities, giving every person the chance to live a healthy and productive life.”

Bill also said meeting Jeffrey was a 'mistake' (Pierre Villard/Sipa/REX/Shutterstock)
Melinda said the paedophile was 'evil personified' (New York State Sex Offender Regi)

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Bill and Melinda announced the end of their marriage in a statement posted to Twitter last year.

Their statement read: "After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship we have made the decision to end our marriage.

"Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives.

"We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in the next phase of this lives.

"We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life."

The couple share three kids; Jennifer, 26, Rory, 22, and Phoebe, 19.

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