this post was submitted on 04 Feb 2026
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Billionaire philanthropist Melinda French Gates has said her ex-husband, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, being named in new files relating to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein dredged up "painful times in my marriage".

She told an NPR podcast she feels "unbelievable sadness" about the Epstein allegations and that the people named in the records, including her former husband, need to answer to it.

"I am so happy to be away from all the muck," she said. The couple divorced in 2021 after 27 years of marriage.

Records released by the US justice department include an allegation by Epstein that Bill Gates caught a sexually transmitted disease. He has called the claim "absolutely absurd".

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[–] SlacksMcTavish@lemmy.ml 59 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Ok but if she knew about it and it's why the divorce why didn't she say shit, unless I'm missing something?

[–] ViatorOmnium@piefed.social 69 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Their divorce process started when their youngest daughter turned 18, so it might be the usual "sticking to a toxic wasteland of a marriage for the children" delusion.

[–] TheTechnician27@lemmy.world 17 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago)
[–] HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works 53 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (7 children)

She may have had to sign an NDA for the divorce to go through.

Dunno why y'all are blaming her for shit. She wasn't the one involved with Epstein.

[–] halcyoncmdr@piefed.social 26 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

For a lot of (if not most) people, knowing about the heinous shit happening and doing nothing about it (at minimum trying to go public) is an issue nearly as bad as actually participating.

[–] HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works 24 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

And maybe people have forgotten how to use their critical thinking skills first before jumping on the blame bandwagon.

[–] SlacksMcTavish@lemmy.ml 13 points 23 hours ago (3 children)

Not blaming,and an NDA to cover illegal shit is enforceable?

I'm not from USA, I don't know how NDAs work there?

[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 16 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (1 children)

No an NDA can't cover withholding information about a crime. Asking someone to not divulge information under an NDA pertaining to a crime, is in itself a crime/an unenforceable nda

[–] HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works -3 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

If the NDA used generic language, ie: spouse is barred from sharing any private conversations or information shared within the marriage, it may be covered ... but IANAL so ...

[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 10 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

How do you see that playing out?

Subject A says, "Ron told me he committed a crime"

Subject B says "I'm suing you for divulging information that should be covered by the NDA"

It would be admitting that the statement occurred. Thus now the entire NDA is void, and those court records can be used as testimony in a criminal investigation.

[–] HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works -1 points 21 hours ago

Do you actually think Billy Boy sat her down and confessed to fucking teenagers????

Jfc buddy. Use your brain. If anything he had to tell her he caught an STD so she would have to go have it taken care of. For most women that would be the last straw ... marriage done.

[–] duelistsage@sh.itjust.works 5 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

Keep in mind, OP literally pulled the "NDA" think out of his ass.

[–] HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works 7 points 23 hours ago

America is covered with them. Iirc California is the only state to have banned them.

[–] notwhoyouthink@lemmy.zip 1 points 14 hours ago

Agreed - and who knows how much she actually knew, I highly doubt she knew everything and just the cherry picked version her ex gave her.

Leaving a marriage, especially an abusive (speculation here) one, and especially when you’re raising children, and (yes one more) especially to someone as rich as he is no easy, simple, or fast task.

[–] Dojan@pawb.social 7 points 23 hours ago

People aren't blaming her for anything. If all she knew was that she was being cheated on because she suddenly got an STD, that's one thing. What they're saying is, if she knew about Bill going to Epstein to rape children, then she'd be complicit.

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 6 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

An NDA doesn't prevent you from reporting crimes to the relevant authorities. This woman was very much part of the system. She deserves credit for getting out but she's by no means an angel.

[–] FishFace@piefed.social 13 points 22 hours ago

We don't know if she had any information about crimes, or whether she went to the authorities ffs

[–] kutt@lemmy.world 2 points 23 hours ago

TIL you can sign NDAs for divorces

[–] duelistsage@sh.itjust.works -1 points 21 hours ago

Dunno why y’all are blaming her for shit. She wasn’t the one involved with Epstein.

She knew what was happening and didn't tell us.

Don't be a fool.

[–] RagingRobot@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I believe that she divorced him after the Epstein thing first blew up and it was because of that.

[–] rayyy@piefed.social 1 points 14 hours ago

Well, that and maybe the STD Bill gave her .

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 0 points 23 hours ago

she probably knew or at least highly suspected he was involved. his "charity initiative" always seemed disengenious.

[–] gilarelli@jlai.lu 6 points 1 day ago

Because money?