Bill and Melinda announced their decision to divorce in a joint statement posted on X on May 3, 2021. At the time, they revealed they had agreed to end their marriage “after a great deal of thought and a lot of work on [their] relationship.”
They did not disclose the exact reason behind the split, but they added in the statement, “We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives. We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life.”
Melinda gave her first individual post-divorce interview on CBS Mornings in March 2022. During the sit-down, she divulged the reasons behind the separation, including Bill’s extramarital affairs and his controversial ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
“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, no,” she told Gayle King.
She also said of the divorce, “I mean, this is painful stuff. And at the end of the day though, I started on this journey of healing, and I feel like I’m starting to get to the other side. And I do feel like I’m turning a page in the chapter now. I mean, it’s 2022, and I’m actually really excited about what’s to come and life ahead for me.”
Melinda revealed in a separate interview with Fortune that she had “some reasons” she could no longer remain in the marriage. Meanwhile, the tech titan called losing Melinda the mistake he most regrets.
“You would have to put that at the top of the list,” he told The Times. “There are others, but none that matter. The divorce thing was miserable for me and Melinda for at least two years.”