Bill Gates ex-wife Melinda considers forgiving him after Epstein files release

Melinda French Gates is well-versed in the journey of forgiveness — and how patience is required when trust is fractured.

In a fresh installment of the NPR Wild Card podcast, which gained attention earlier this week and aired fully on Thursday (February 5), the wealthy benefactor responded to various questions about her former husband, Bill Gates.

Besides being prompted for her thoughts on recently disclosed emails from sex offender Jeffrey Epstein implicating Bill, Melinda, 61, elaborated on themes of trust and pardon.

At a certain point in the conversation, when host Rachel Martin inquired about insights maturity has given her on love, Melinda emphasised the crucial nature of "complete trust" in her connections — and the challenges in evolving without it, particularly when people inevitably "err."

“Did regaining trust take time for you after it was compromised in—” Martin began, as Melinda interjected, “my marriage?”

“Certainly,” Melinda acknowledged, confessing that she “feared it wouldn't be possible again.”

“However, I trusted myself,” she added. “What I found is that with a suitable person, restoring trust starts in small steps, gradually building as you assess it, growing from there.”

Following her separation, Melinda has been linked with Philip Vaughn since 2024 — and the duo graced their first red carpet event last year.

When NPR asked if she's “adept at forgiving,” Melinda answered, “Yes, I believe so.”

“Yet, I've discovered that true forgiveness requires time and cannot be hurried,” she elaborated.

Melinda, discussing forgiveness in a broad context including friendship, explained that processing the “ways we cause harm to each other” is necessary to move on.

“Nonetheless, I truly aim to forgive all, because if you can't forgive at some point, you only end up hurting yourself, in my view,” she added. “I forgive them, even if I don't need to maintain contact... recognizing their perspective allows me to move on.”

Concerning if she has forgiven Bill, Melinda remarked, “I think I'll keep that private.”

Eventually, she described it as a “continuous journey” and concluded with, “I feel I am progressing.”