Melinda French Gates 'Did Not Like' That Bill Had Meetings With Jeffrey Epstein: 'I Made That Clear to Him'


Melinda French Gates, Bill Gates

Melinda French Gates is addressing her ex-husband Bill Gates' past ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

During an interview with CBS Mornings' Gayle King on Thursday, Melinda — who said earlier in the conversation that there "wasn't one moment or one specific thing that happened" that led to their divorce — was asked about the Microsoft co-founder's relationship with the financier, who died by suicide inside a jail cell while awaiting trial on federal conspiracy and sex trafficking charges.

"As I said it's not one thing, it was many things, but I did not like that he'd had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein," the philanthropist, 57, said during the interview. "I made that clear to him."

Melinda admitted that she did meet with Epstein on one occasion — and she instantly "regretted it."

"I wanted to see who this man was and I regretted it from the second I stepped in the door," she said. "He was abhorrent. He was evil personified. I had nightmares about it afterwards. My heart breaks for these young women."

In a statement shared with CBS Mornings, Bill said that "meeting with Epstein was a mistake that I regret deeply. It was a substantial error in judgment."

Following news of his divorce from Melinda last year, sources close to the former couple told PEOPLE that his connection with Epstein was a "sore spot" for them.

"She was totally opposed to what she considered shady dealings and some other issues he wanted to pursue in the business area," the source said at the time. "She was not afraid to speak up about it either."

The Microsoft co-founder, who once denied having "any business relationship or friendship" with Epstein, previously addressed their past ties in August.

​​"It was a huge mistake to spend time with him, to give him the credibility of being there," he said on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360.

"There were lots of others in that situation, but I made a mistake," he added. "I had several dinners with him hoping that what he said about getting billions of philanthropy for global health through contacts that he had might emerge. When it looked like that wasn't a real thing, that relationship ended."

The New York Times reported in 2019 that Bill first met Epstein after the latter had already served jail time for soliciting prostitution for a minor and was registered as a sex offender. The newspaper reported that beginning in 2011, the two men met multiple times and discussed Epstein's proposal to help raise funds for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which never came to fruition.

Bill's connection with Epstein made headlines again in May when a New York Times report claimed he "remarked in Mr. Epstein's presence that he was unhappy in his marriage" at least one time. The newspaper also reported that Melinda was "unhappy" when the two men's relationship became public knowledge in 2019, and subsequently consulted with divorce lawyers.

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When the Times reported in 2019 on the relationship between Epstein and Gates, the Microsoft co-founder's spokesperson Bridgitt Arnold said Gates "regretted the relationship with Epstein."

Arnold also denied to the outlet that Gates ever socialized or attended parties with Epstein, saying they only ever met to "discuss philanthropy."

A statement shared with PEOPLE in May from a Gates spokesperson doubled down on that claim, saying that the newspaper's "characterization of his meetings with Epstein and others about philanthropy is inaccurate, including who participated."

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