Melinda French Gates shares how divorce with Bill Gates was 'necessary' and why

Melinda French Gates was married to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates from 1994 to 2021. The couple share three adult children through their marriage, namely, Phoebe, Rory and Jennifer. However, in 2021, Melinda and Bill ended their 27-year-long marriage with a divorce where Melinda received $12.5 billion as a part of her settlement. Recently, in an interview, Bill shared how his divorce was the biggest regret of his life. Now, in a new interview with The Times, Melinda has responded to the statement and shared her emotional journey.

"If you can't live your values out inside your most intimate relationship, it was necessary," said Melinda. When asked about Bill's comment on regretting the divorce she added, "I don't even know what to make of that statement, so I'm not going to comment on what he says. He's got his own life. I have my life now. I am very happy."

She also shared how the divorce process was emotionally challenging and tough, saying, "When you're leaving a marriage, it's very, very hard. And the negotiations were tough."

Melinda explained her mental journey, sharing that she had experienced her first panic attack in 2014 during a lunch with Bill and had started visiting a therapist. She also experienced them again during their separation. "It doesn't mean I'm damaged. It means I've been through some difficult things that I need to figure out," she explained.