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Melinda French Gates Opens Up About Difficult Divorce Decision
Starting over at 60 is daunting, a reality Melinda French Gates faced head-on. In her book, she reveals the pivotal moment she knew her marriage was ending: recurring nightmares of her home collapsing, followed by jarring panic attacks. “As dramatic as it sounds,” she shared, “I knew I had to make a decision—alone.”
French Gates chose a trip to New Mexico to break the news to Bill. On their last night, she told him she wanted to live separately, remaining in their home with their youngest daughter, Phoebe. She described the conversation as one of the scariest she’d ever had.
Bill Gates, who has publicly admitted to past infidelities, was reportedly “sad and upset” by the news, yet “understanding and respectful.” While the initial conversation took place in February 2020, the couple didn’t publicly announce their divorce until May 2021, a period French Gates describes as “grueling.”
Despite the difficulty, French Gates reflects on the experience with a sense of newfound freedom. “It takes courage forging a different life,” she says. “When you change paths, you realize it’s a big opening.”