Melinda French Gates has shared new insights into her marriage with Bill Gates, revealing that a lack of trust and honesty ultimately led to their separation. In a recent interview promoting her memoir, The Next Day, she reflected on the painful but necessary decision to end their 27-year marriage.
Melinda Gates talked about importance of trust
During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Melinda emphasized that she had always wanted a trusted relationship in her marriage. She stated, “Both partners have to be honest with one another, and if you can’t, you can’t have intimacy and you can’t have trust. So in the end, I had to go.” Her remarks highlight the emotional toll of the separation and the personal growth she experienced through the process.
Melinda also confirmed that she is currently in a “pretty great” relationship, expressing optimism about her future. She previously mentioned that she is “very, very happy” and has embraced new beginnings following the divorce.
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Melinda Gates says she suffered panic attacks
She shared that her first panic attack occurred in 2014 while having lunch with Gates, prompting her to begin therapy. “I’d heard of people having panic attacks and I didn’t know if it was a real thing,” she said.
Initially skeptical of therapy, French Gates admitted she later came to understand its value. “It doesn’t mean I’m damaged,” she explained. “It means I’ve been through some difficult things that I need to figure out.”
The former couple share three adult children—Jennifer, 28, Rory, 25, and Phoebe, 22—and are now grandparents to two. While Bill Gates has been dating Paula Hurd, widow of former Oracle CEO Mark Hurd, since 2022, French Gates confirmed she is currently single and enjoying the dating scene.
