Billionaire Bill Gates Denies Epstein Allegations as Ex-Wife Melinda Speaks of “Muck” in Marriage
- Bill Gates has denied explosive allegations from the newly released Epstein files, calling them “false” and “absurd”
- His former wife, Melinda French Gates, spoke of “muck” in their marriage and urged her ex-husband to answer questions about his ties to Epstein
- The controversy has reignited political and public scrutiny, with US lawmakers pressing for Gates to testify as the fallout from Epstein’s scandal continues
Bill Gates has publicly denied allegations that he hid a sexually transmitted disease from his former wife, Melinda French Gates, after alleged contact with “Russian girls”.
The claims surfaced in the latest release of the Epstein files, which have shed light on the disgraced financier’s ties to celebrities and powerful figures.
Source: Getty Images
According to the Guardian UK, his office had earlier dismissed the allegations as “absolutely absurd and completely false”. Until now, Gates, 70, had remained silent.
Speaking on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, to Australia’s 9News, he described the claims as “false” and suggested Jeffrey Epstein had attempted to defame him.
“Apparently, Jeffrey wrote an email to himself. That email was never sent. The email is false,” Gates said.
He added:
“Every minute I spent with him, I regret, and I apologize that I did that.”
Melinda French Gates calls marriage “muck”
The interview followed comments from Melinda French Gates, who spoke to NPR’s Wild Card podcast on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. She expressed her disapproval of Gates’s friendship with Epstein and reflected on the pain it brought to their marriage.
“For me, it’s personally hard whenever those details come up, right? Because it brings back memories of some very, very painful times in my marriage,” she said.
French Gates added:
“Whatever questions remain there… those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband. They need to answer to those things, not me.”
French Gates described the Epstein files’ release as part of a wider “reckoning as a society”. Speaking about Epstein’s victims, she said:
“No girl should ever be put in the situation they were put in by Epstein… It’s beyond heartbreaking.”
She said she had “moved on” from the marriage, which ended in divorce in 2021 after 27 years, and was now “in a really unexpected, beautiful place in my life. I’m so happy to be away from all the muck that was there.”
Bill Gates clarifies meetings with Epstein
Bill Gates told 9News he first met Epstein in 2011 and had dinner with him on several occasions to discuss potential scientific ventures.
He insisted he never visited Epstein’s private Caribbean island, where many young women were allegedly abused, and denied any relations with women.
“The focus was always, he knew a lot of very rich people, and he was saying he could get them to give money to global health. In retrospect, that was a dead end,” Gates said. “I was foolish to spend time with him. I was one of many people who regret ever knowing him.”
Bill Gates: Pressure mounts over Epstein links
On Wednesday, February 4, 2026, Republican congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina said she supported French Gates’s position that her ex-husband had questions to answer.
She confirmed she had written to James Comer, chair of the House Oversight Committee investigating Epstein’s activities.
“Last night, I watched Melinda Gates interview. I immediately asked the chairman of oversight, James Comer, to subpoena, Bill Gates. I have questions for Bill Gates about Epstein,” Mace wrote on X.
The pressure on Gates comes as Bill and Hillary Clinton, also named in the Epstein files, agreed on Monday to testify before the committee. Their decision came days before the chamber was expected to vote to hold them in contempt for initially refusing to do so.
Source: Getty Images
Bill Gates, MI, Layi Wasabi in skit
Legit.ng earlier reported that Bill Gates' involvement in a skit featuring Nigerian rapper Jude Abaga, popularly known as MI, alongside Nigerian comedians Broda Shaggi and Layi Wasabi, caused a buzz on social media.
The skit captured a lighthearted exchange in a music studio between the rapper and the billionaire, showing the founder of Microsoft offering lyrical suggestions for a song by the veteran Nigerian musician.
The video’s circulation has prompted discussions on social media about Bill Gates' involvement in the skit, as some Nigerians expressed their displeasure.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
