Melinda French Gates has publicly addressed the emotional impact of newly released documents connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that include explosive allegations involving her ex-husband, Bill Gates.

The revelations, part of more than three million pages of FBI and Department of Justice records made public under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, have reignited scrutiny around Gates’s past associations and private life.

Among the most talked-about claims in the files are draft emails allegedly written by Epstein that suggest Bill Gates once contracted a sexually transmitted infection after encounters with “Russian girls” and sought antibiotics to secretly give to Melinda instead of openly discussing the matter.

Those specific documents have not been verified as authentic communications between the parties, and Gates’s team has strongly denied the assertions.

Speaking on NPR’s Wild Card podcast, Melinda described the headlines and the underlying allegations as deeply upsetting, expressing what she called “unbelievable sadness” over the situation and the broader harm caused by Epstein and those around him.

She said the details dredge up painful memories from her 27-year marriage but stressed that she has since moved on with her life and found peace in a new chapter.

“I think we’re having a reckoning as a society,” French Gates said, highlighting the enduring trauma suffered by Epstein’s victims and the importance of accountability.

She emphasized that lingering questions about the documents and the individuals mentioned, including her ex-husband, are for those directly involved to answer.

“So whatever questions remain there of what I don’t – can’t even begin to know all of it, those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband. They need to answer to those things, not me,” she remarked.

Bill Gates’s spokesperson has publicly dismissed the claims in the Epstein files as “absurd and completely false,” asserting that they reflect a disgruntled attempt by Epstein to defame Gates following the end of their relationship.

There is no evidence outside Epstein’s own draft notes that corroborates the specific allegations about an STI or any effort to conceal medical information from Melinda.

While the controversy has dominated headlines and social media, Melinda’s response has largely focused on empathy for the victims of sexual abuse and the need to support survivors rather than fueling speculation about her personal life.

Reiterating the emotional toll that the continuous media attention has taken, she has expressed her gratitude for the distance she now has from her past.