Melinda French Gates calls ex-husband Bill Gates’ Jeffrey Epstein ties ‘deeply disturbing’ in memoir

"That October, things had reached a fever pitch when The New York Times published a deeply disturbing article that raised serious questions about Bill’s conduct – questions that suggested he had betrayed not only our marriage but also my values," Melinda writes.

The philanthropist references her then-husband’s friendship with Epstein in her recently released memoir "The Next Day." Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking and federal conspiracy, according to Page Six.

Bill had met with Epstein "on numerous occasions," including one visit that lasted several hours, as reported by The New York Times. The outlet also reported that Epstein threatened to expose Bill’s alleged affair with Russian bridge player Mila Antonova in 2017, after Bill declined to join Epstein’s multi-billion-dollar charitable fund with JPMorgan Chase.

Tech billionaire Bill Gates and ex-wife Melinda French Gates. Photo from Melinda’s Instagram

While Bill has expressed deep regret over his connection to Epstein, he has never been accused of any wrongdoing related to the convicted predator, as reported by the Daily Mail.

"In retrospect, I was foolish to spend any time with him," the Microsoft co-founder, 69, told the Wall Street Journal. "I think I was quite stupid. I thought it would help me with global health philanthropy. In fact, it failed to do that. It was just a huge mistake."

In a 2022 interview with CBS Mornings, Melinda explained that Epstein’s friendship was one of the key factors that led her to seek a divorce. "I did not like that he had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein," she told host Gayle King.

Melinda also revealed that she met Epstein once, wanting to "see who this man was," but regretted the encounter immediately. "I regretted it from the second I stepped in the door," she admitted. "He was abhorrent, evil personified."

Melinda, 60, told Bill she wanted to start living apart, describing it as "one of the scariest conversations" she had ever had.

The couple finalized their divorce in August 2021 after 27 years of marriage. They share three children: Phoebe, 22; Rory, 25; and Jennifer, 29.