'It's just painful': Melinda French Gates opens up on divorce with Bill Gates

File photo of Melinda French Gates

Melinda Gates has opened up about her "horribe" divorce with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates in a candid interview with Time Magazine, shedding light on her emotional journey since their high-profile split in May 2021.

In the interview, she described the end of their 27-year marriage as a painful and horrible experience but emphasized that she has since found a new sense of happiness and fulfillment.

Reflecting on the tumultuous period following the announcement of their divorce, Melinda said: “Getting a divorce is a horrible thing. It’s just painful. It’s awful when you realize you need one,” she said.

She later corrected the experience from “horrible” to “hard”, but added that things have been wonderful now that it’s over.

She described finding joy in her new life and focusing on personal growth and her philanthropic efforts.

She also said that going through the divorce during the pandemic helped the couple get the privacy they needed.

“It gave us the privacy to do what needed to be done in private," she told Time.

“You know, I separated first before I made the full decision about a divorce. And to be able to do that in private while I’m still trying to take care of the kids, while still making certain decisions about how you’re going to disentangle your life - thank God," she said.

She also told Time about her decision to exit the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as its co-chair and founding Pivotal Ventures, her own foundation.

“Once Pivotal Ventures was up and running for three years, I knew I could do this on my own,” she said.

During the interview, Melinda said that she does not see her decision to exit a multi-billion dollar foundation and begin a new venture as "downsizing".

“I don’t see it honestly as a downsizing ...I was just ready to be able to have full decision-making control about where all the funds go,” she said.