Melinda French Gates calls divorce from Bill Gates ‘necessary’, opens up about emotional strain

Melinda Gates calls divorce necessary, reflects on emotional journey.

Melinda French Gates has described her 2021 divorce from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates as "necessary", offering a rare insight into the emotional toll of the split. Her comments follow recent remarks by her ex-husband, who referred to the separation as the greatest regret of his life.

In an interview with The Times, Ms French Gates said, “If you can't live your values out inside your most intimate relationship, it was necessary.” When asked directly about Mr Gates' statement, she responded, “I don't even quite know what to make of that statement, so I'm not going to comment on what he says.” She added, “He's got his own life. I have my life now. I am very happy.”

She also revealed that the divorce process was emotionally challenging, saying, “When you're leaving a marriage, it's very, very hard. And the negotiations were tough.”

Ms French Gates spoke candidly about experiencing panic attacks during their separation and shared that she began therapy in 2014 after having her first panic attack during a lunch with Mr Gates. They were still married at the time. “It doesn't mean I'm damaged. It means I've been through some difficult things that I need to figure out,” she said.

In February, Mr Gates told NBC’s TODAY that despite the divorce being his “biggest regret”, he would still make the same choices again due to their shared children and philanthropic work.

The couple divorced after 27 years of marriage. They share three adult children: Phoebe, Rory, and Jennifer.