Melinda French Gates has reacted to her ex-husband Bill Gates’ statement that their divorce was the “mistake” he regrets the most. Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates announced their split in May 2021 following 27 years of marriage. They were officially divorced three months later. Now, in a recent interview with Elle Magazine, the 60-year philanthropist briefly spoke about her split from the Microsoft co-founder. “Look, divorces are painful, and it’s not something I would wish on any family,” she told the outlet when asked about her ex-husband’s recent comments lamenting how their relationship ended.
“You’ve clearly Googled more than I have,” French Gates said when the writer pointed to her ex’s comments about regretting their divorce. She also emphasised that despite the difficulty of ending their 27-year marriage, she was confident in her ability to move forward after the divorce. “I knew when I got divorced, I would be okay on my own. And I think that was the most important thing,” she said, as per the New York Post.
Further, when asked what she would want somebody to find if they searched for updates on her down the line, French Gates replied that she’d want the public to see “she’s thriving on the other side of a divorce.”
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French Gates’ comments come months after the Microsoft co-founder opened up about the divorce. “The divorce thing was miserable for me and Melinda for at least two years,” Gates told the Times of London. He also admitted that he had hoped their marriage would be as successful as that of his parents, Bill Sr. and Mary, who lived together for 45 years.
“There is a certain wonderfulness to spending your entire adult life with one person because of the memories and depth of things you have done and having kids together,” the tech billionaire told the outlet. He also said that he would have to put the public divorce “at the top of the list” of his failures throughout his life. “There are others but none that matter,” he added.
Gates later also said that “despite the fact that the divorce wasn’t great, having those three kids, the work we were able to do together – even if I knew that it [wouldn’t] last forever, I would still do it again.”
He added that he is now “lucky to have a serious girlfriend”, referring to philanthropist Paula Hurd. “We’re having fun, going to the Olympics and lots of great things,” Gates said about Hurd.