Melinda French Gates said she felt “unbelievable sadness” after seeing her ex-husband, Bill Gates, mentioned in newly released Justice Department files connected to Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking on NPR’s Wild Card podcast, French Gates said the records brought back painful memories of her marriage.
“Whatever questions remain … those questions are for those people, and for even my ex-husband. They need to answer to those things, not me,” she said.
She also expressed sympathy for Epstein’s victims.
“No girl should ever be put in the situation that they were put in by Epstein and the people around him. No girl. It’s just beyond heartbreaking,” she said.
French Gates said she was relieved to be away from the situation.
ALSO READ: Epstein files: New US DOJ release suggest Bill Gates had extramarital affairs
“I am so happy to be away from all the muck that was there. I had to leave my marriage and the foundation. At least for me, I’ve been able to move on in life,” she said.
The Justice Department released three million pages of Epstein-related material last week. The documents include emails Epstein sent to himself that mention Bill Gates. Epstein claimed Gates had extramarital affairs and used drugs.
A spokesperson for Bill Gates denied the claims.
“These claims are absolutely absurd and completely false,” the spokesperson said. “The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein’s frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame.”
Gates previously called his interactions with Epstein a “huge mistake.”
Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His former associate Ghislaine Maxwell is the only person convicted in connection with his crimes.
Other high-profile figures, including Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Bill Clinton, and Prince Andrew, were also mentioned in the files. None have been charged.