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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Melinda French Gates said she “had to leave” her marriage during a February 2026 interview on NPR’s Wild Card. Asked about new Epstein-file reporting and allegations involving her former husband, she described sadness and memories of painful times in the marriage. She did not say the newly reported allegations were the sole reason she divorced Bill Gates.
What Melinda French Gates said in the NPR interview
In a conversation with host Rachel Martin published February 5, 2026, French Gates reflected on the latest Epstein-related stories. She said they brought back memories of “some very, very painful times” in her marriage and described feeling “unbelievable sadness.” She also said, “I had to leave my marriage.”
Her remarks came in response to questions about the reports, not as a new announcement about the divorce. French Gates said questions about the reported conduct belonged to the people involved, including her former husband, and spoke about having moved on. The NPR transcript records Martin saying that a representative for Bill Gates denied the allegations. ABC News also reported the spokesperson’s denial; the claims and denial should not be treated as established findings.
What the interview does—and does not—explain about the divorce
The February 2026 conversation offers a glimpse of French Gates’s feelings about the latest reporting and the painful memories it stirred. It does not establish that those newly reported allegations alone caused the marriage to end. ABC News reported that French Gates had previously described Bill Gates’s association with Jeffrey Epstein as one factor among many in her decision to seek a divorce.
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In a separate Late Show with Stephen Colbert appearance in April 2025, French Gates spoke about honesty, intimacy and trust, saying that without honesty, “you can’t have intimacy or trust,” before adding, “Ultimately, I had to leave.” That was a different interview from the 2026 NPR conversation; India Today’s report covers the earlier remarks.
The divorce was finalized in 2021
French Gates’s NPR comments were retrospective. The couple’s divorce was finalized in August 2021 after a 27-year marriage, according to TIME’s 2024 interview. TIME reported that she considered their three children and the future of the Gates Foundation as she made her decision.
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French Gates also said in the NPR conversation that she eventually felt she needed to leave the foundation. She did not present that decision as a new revelation about the divorce; the interview addressed her life after both major departures.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where her broader reflections appear
French Gates discussed life transitions and growth in her 2025 memoir, The Next Day: Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward. In the NPR interview, she described the book as being about navigating transitions. It offers broader reflections, but should not be mistaken for a definitive account of every private reason behind the divorce.
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