Melinda French Gates said she felt "unbelievable sadness" after her name surfaced in a newly released batch of Justice Department records tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, adding that any remaining questions about the matter are for others, including her ex-husband Bill Gates, to answer.
French Gates, 61, discussed the records during an appearance on NPR's "Wild Card" podcast with host Rachel Martin.
Her comments followed the Justice Department's Jan. 30 release of more than 3 million additional pages under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a law signed by President Donald Trump on Nov. 19, 2025.
Martin asked French Gates about a draft email Epstein allegedly wrote in 2013 that mentioned her by name and referenced claims about Gates.
"Society is having a reckoning," French Gates said, adding the renewed attention "brings back memories of some very, very painful times" from her marriage.
"But I have moved on from that. I purposely pushed it away and I moved on," she said.
"I'm in a really unexpected, beautiful place in my life, so whatever questions remain there ... those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband. They need to answer to those things, not me."
Martin summarized reports describing the email as suggesting Gates had additional affairs and sought medication for a sexually transmitted infection without French Gates' knowledge, then asked what emotion she felt reading those accounts.
"Just unbelievable sadness," French Gates replied. "I'm able to take my own sadness and look at those young girls and say, 'My God, how did they ... How did that happen to those girls, right?'" she continued.
"At least for me, I've been able to move on in life, and I hope there's some justice for those now women."
A spokesperson for Bill Gates has denied the allegations attributed to Epstein's draft email.
"These claims are absolutely absurd and completely false," the spokesperson said previously, adding the documents show Epstein's "frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates."
Epstein, a wealthy financier, pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges in Florida involving solicitation of a minor and later registered as a sex offender.
He was arrested again in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges and died in custody that year.
The Justice Department's latest release, mandated by the 2025 transparency law, has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and victims' advocates over redactions and the handling of sensitive information.
The department has said it published responsive material in compliance with the act.
Bill and Melinda French Gates announced their divorce in May 2021 after 27 years of marriage.
French Gates stepped down from the Gates Foundation in 2024.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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