Melinda Gates left her ex-husband, Bill Gates, over trust issues.
The philanthropist reflected on what she “learned about marriage” during an appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on Monday — nearly four years after she divorced the Microsoft co-founder.
“I learned, you know, to have a trusted relationship — which is what I wanted in a marriage — both partners have to be honest with one another,” she said.
“And if you can’t, you can’t have intimacy and you can’t have trust. And so, in the end, I had to go.”
Stephen Colbert then asked Melinda, 60, whether she is dating again.
“I am,” she said while blushing. “It’s been pretty great. It’s been pretty great.”
Melinda did not discuss her current relationship, but Page Six confirmed last year that she was seeing businessman Philip Vaughn.
She previously shared that she separated from Bill, 69, over his infidelity and connection to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“I did not like that he had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, no. I made that clear to [Bill],” Melinda said in a 2022 interview with “CBS Mornings,” adding, “[Epstein] was abhorrent. He was evil personified. My heart breaks for these women.”
Bill later admitted to the Wall Street Journal that he was “foolish” to have spent time with Epstein, who died by suicide in jail in 2019, and called their interactions a “huge mistake.”
News broke in 2021 that Bill allegedly had an affair with a Microsoft employee.
The following year, he cryptically confessed to making “mistakes” in his marriage.
“I don’t think delving into the particulars at this point is constructive, but yes, I caused pain, and I feel terrible about that,” he said on the “Today” show in 2022.
The Gateses’ divorce has been making headlines again while Melinda promotes her new memoir, “The Next Day.”
“Look, divorces are painful, and it’s not something I would wish on any family,” she told Elle last month during her press tour.
Melinda reiterated that her decision to leave Bill was one of the “hardest” but “most important” she has ever made.
In her book, the activist described the moment she told Bill she wanted a divorce while they were on a trip to New Mexico in 2020.
“It was one of the scariest conversations I’d have had,” she wrote, describing Bill’s reaction as “sad and upset” but also “understanding and respectful.”
The former couple did not publicly announce their split until 2021 when they released a joint statement.
Melinda shared in “The Next Day” that her divorce was “grueling” at first while she and Bill worked out a settlement.
“Bill has a reputation for being one of the toughest negotiators in the world,” she explained.
The exes, who tied the knot in 1994, share three kids: daughters Jennifer, 28, and Phoebe, 22, and son Rory, 25.
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