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Home > Photos > Melinda Gates
PHOTOS
By:Angilene Gacute
April 20 2025, Published 10:16 a.m. ET
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Melinda French Gates Started Having Nightmares Before Her Divorce From Bill Gates
On April 15, Melinda French Gates' book The Next Day finally hit bookshelves and dropped the philanthropist's long-held personal stories over the years.
One of the biggest revelations was about the recurring nightmares Melinda started having by the end of 2019 — about two years before she and Bill Gates announced their divorce in a joint statement on X in May 2021.
According to the philanthropist, she dreamt about a beautiful house crumbling around her and woke up in a panic night after night. She attributed the nightmares to her collapsing marriage to Bill, adding her subconscious was being "a bit obvious" at the time.
She shared in the book, "Bill has publicly acknowledged that he wasn't always faithful to me."
"As dramatic as it sounds. I knew, in that moment, that I was going to have to make a decision — and that I was going to have to make it by myself," Melinda wrote.
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Bill Gates Had 'Deeply Disturbing' Ties to Jeffrey Epstein
While discussing her nightmares, Melinda also mentioned a "deeply disturbing article" about Bill's past meetings with Jeffrey Epstein.
"That October, things had reached a fever pitch when The New York Times published a deeply disturbing article that raised serious questions about Bill's conduct – questions that suggested he had betrayed not only our marriage but also my values," she continued.
The Microsoft co-founder previously admitted to the Wall Street Journal that he was "foolish to spend any time" with Jeffrey.
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Melinda French Gates Revealed 'One of the Scariest Conversations' She's Ever Had
MORE ON:
Melinda Gates
- Melinda Gates Confesses She and Bill Secretly Separated 1 Year Before They Announced Their Divorce in 2021: 'Scariest Conversation'
- Melinda Gates Admits 'Painful' Divorce From Bill Also Had a Positive Side: 'I Ended Up Learning Some Lessons'
- Melinda French Gates Says She 'Had to' End Her Marriage to Bill Gates: 'Both Partners Have to Be Honest'
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Despite the concerns, Melinda initially tried to push them away and planned to spend a solo vacation in New Mexico in February 2020. However, she eventually decided to invite Bill along.
On the last night of the trip, Melinda told Bill she wanted to start living separately and that she would stay in their home with their daughter Phoebe.
"It was one of the scariest conversations I'd have had," she wrote, noting Bill looked "sad and upset" but also "understanding and respectful" at the time.
In 2022, Melinda confessed her decision to end their marriage was one of the "lowest moments" in her life.
"That wasn't something I ever thought would happen to me. It certainly wasn't what I thought on the day I got married, but I realized for myself, I needed to make a healthier choice, and that was just a very, very sad day," she told USA Today.
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The Process of Melinda French Gates' Divorce From Bill Was 'Grueling'
Bill and Melinda continued making joint appearances after their conversation during their New Mexico trip. But in the following summer, she told the 69-year-old businessman she wanted a divorce.
"Bill has a reputation for being one of the toughest negotiators in the world," she said as she described the process of their split as something "grueling" and lengthy.
They finalized their divorce on August 2, 2021, three months after announcing their separation.
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Melinda French Gates Included a Mysterious Shout-Out in Her Book
Melinda included a mysterious part in the acknowledgments of The Next Day, in which she thanked many people "for being there for people like me when we need you most."
"Keep doing your beautiful, critically necessary work," she wrote.
She then expressed her gratitude to an individual whose name was not mentioned.
"There's another person I want to thank. You've helped me heal and find beauty again. You know who you are," said Melinda.
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