NEWSMelinda French Gates Says She 'Had to' End Her Marriage to Bill Gates: 'Both Partners Have to Be Honest'
Melinda French Gates did not hesitate in divorcing her former husband, Bill.
April 15 2025, Published 11:36 a.m. ET
Melinda French Gates admitted that divorcing her ex-husband, Bill, was a no-brainer.
In an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday, April 14, the philanthropist, 60, said she "had to" call things off due to a lack of trust.
Melinda French Gates did not hesitate in divorcing her former husband, Bill.
"I learned to have a trusted relationship, which is what I wanted in marriage," Melinda reflected. "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."
Melinda left her former marriage feeling empowered, leading her to start dating again.
"It's been pretty great!" she exclaimed about her new life as a single woman.
Although her current partner has not been confirmed, she was spotted holding hands with entrepreneur Philip Vaughn at the restaurant Le Bernardin in New York in October 2024.
Melinda French Gates released a memoir on Tuesday, April 15, called 'The Next Day.'
Melinda further reflects on her famous relationship with Bill, 69, in her memoir, The Next Day, which released on Tuesday, April 15.
"I thought it would be disingenuous if I didn't write about the transition out of my marriage because people knew it had happened to me, and it happens to, unfortunately, a lot of families," she acknowledged.
Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates remain friendly.
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Although the couple split in 2021 after 27 years due to Bill's alleged infidelity, Melinda assured that they remain cordial for the sake of their children.
"One of the most important things in my life is being present for the big moments in my children’s — and now my grandchildren’s — lives," she told People on April 3. "Naturally, Bill and I see each other every now and then at family events, such as graduations. When we do, it's friendly."
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation co-founders share three kids — Jennifer, 28, Phoebe, 22, and Rory, 25 — and two grandkids, Jennifer's daughters, Leila, 2, and Mia, 5 months.
Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates were married for 27 years.
In her new book, the entrepreneur details some of the early signs that her marriage was faltering.
"Bill has publicly acknowledged that he wasn’t always faithful to me," she wrote of her ex, who was seen several times with child s-- offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Melinda's doubts about her relationship date all the way back to 2019, when she started having nightmares about a house collapsing around her and experienced consistent panic attacks.
In February 2020, she told the Microsoft founder in secret during a trip to New Mexico that she wanted to live separately. That summer, she asked for a divorce.
"It was one of the scariest conversations I’d have had," she revealed in her memoir.
Melinda French Gates divorced Bill Gates in 2021.
Both Melinda and Bill maintain mutual respect for one another and have moved on with different partners.
While Melinda has been seeing Philip, Bill is reportedly dating Paula Hurd, who was married to the late Oracle CEO Mark Hurd. They attended the BNP Paribas Open in California together in March, nearly a year after making their red carpet debut as a couple at the Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
