Melinda Gates interview LIVE – Bill’s ex slams Microsoft founder’s friendship with ‘evil’ Jeffrey Epstein in tell-all

Turning a page

"At the end of the day though I started on this journey of healing and I feel like I'm starting to get to the other side," Melinda Gates explained during the interview.

"And I do feel like I'm turning a page in the chapter now. It's 2022 and I'm actually really excited about what's to come and life ahead of me."

Melinda cried for 'days'

"I think it's really important to say, look, I had a lot of tears for many days," Melinda Gates revealed in the interview on Thursday about her split with ex-husband, Bill Gates.

"I mean days where I'm literally lying on the floor on the carpet… thinking, 'How can this be? How can I get up? How am I going to move forward?'"

Melinda on working with ex-husband, Bill Gates

"First of all we both want to work together – we founded this institution in 2000 – both of us. It has both of our names on the building," Melinda Gates explained of her continuing work with the Gates Foundation during her interview with Gayle King on Thursday.

"I believe in that institution, my values are baked into that institution. So I have always felt like it calls us to be our higher selves"

"Even during the difficult times in the last 18 months while we were going through this process behind the scenes, we were able to show up and work effectively together."

'Error in judgment'

In a statement to CBS, Bill Gates said of his past friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, "Meeting with Epstein was a mistake that I regret deeply."

"It was a substantial error in judgment."

Melinda on her current relationship with Bill

“I would say we’re friendly at this point," Melinda Gates said of her current relationship with her ex-husband, Bill Gates.

"Friends is a different word for me. That might come over time, but there’s still healing that needs to happen."

"I certainly wish him well," she added. "I don’t wish him harm."

"And I think we have a productive working relationship and I think that will continue."

'I believe in forgiveness'

Melinda Gates was asked during the interview about an affair from 2000 with a Microsoft employee.

"I believe in forgiveness," she said.

"I thought we had worked through some of that."

"I gave every single piece of myself to this marriage," she added.

"I was committed from the day we got engaged to the day I got out of it."

Melinda Gates: 'Epstein' was 'evil personified'

"I did not like that he had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein," Melinda Gates said of her husband's friendship with Epstein.

"I made that clear to him. I also met Jeffrey Epstein exactly one time. I wanted to see who this man was and I regretted it from the second I stepped in the door."

"He was abhorrent, evil personified," she said.

"I had nightmares about it afterwards. That's why my heart breaks for these young women. That's how I felt, and I am an older woman."

"He was awful."

Interview set

One of the cameramen for the interview shared photos of the set.

The CBS interview aired at 7am this morning.

Turning the page

"I feel like I'm turning a page in the chapter now," she continued.

Melinda went on to say that it is 2022, "and I'm actually really excited about what's to come, and life ahead for me."

Melinda's journey of healing

"At the end of the day though, I started on this journey of healing, and I feel like I'm starting to get on the other side," she shared with Gayle King.

'Painful stuff'

"You're grieving a loss of something you thought you had and thought you had for your lifetime," Melinda continued.

"I mean, this is painful stuff."

Melinda was angry

Bill Gates' estranged wife revealed there were some days when she was angry.

"That's part of the grieving process," she said.

Melinda shares her struggle with divorce

Melinda said there were "days where I'm literally laying on the floor, and the carpet ... thinking, 'How can this be? How can I get up? How am I gonna move forward?'"

Melinda responds

"Well, I think it's really important to say, look, I had a lot of tears for many days." she said.

Gayle asks Melinda if she was 'angry'

"Did you have moments where you were just so angry?" Gayle asked.

"Did you have moments that you were just in such pain? Because people look at you, Melinda French Gates, and say, 'she has it all.'"

'It just wasn't healthy'

"There just came a point in time where there was enough there that I realized it just wasn't healthy," Melinda continued.

"And I couldn't trust what we had."

Nothing specific happened

"It wasn't one moment or one specific thing that happened," Melinda explained, in regard to what led up to the divorce.

Melinda addresses affair

Gayle King asked Melinda how she handled hearing that her husband, Bill Gates, had an affair.

"Well I certainly believe in forgiveness," Melinda said. She went on to say she believed they had "worked through some of that."

Melinda Gates' interview airing now

Melinda Gates sat down with CBS' Gayle King for a bombshell tell-all interview, which was slated to air on Thursday morning at 7am ET.

Tune in.

Other allegations against Bill Gates

It has also been claimed Gates “pursued” several women in his office after he wed now-estranged wife Melinda in 1994, according to a  report.

The paper details two alleged instances where the tech mogul clumsily asked out women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

In one instance, Gates is said to have asked out a female Microsoft employee in 2006, following a presentation, two people familiar with the exchange told the Times.

A few years later, another woman, who worked for the Gates’ philanthropic foundation, told the Times that he had allegedly asked her out during a work trip to New York, saying “I want to see you. Will you have dinner with me?”

How long did the affair last?

It is not known exactly how long the employee claims the affair lasted.

However, in late 2019 she claimed in a letter she had a sexual relationship with Gates for a number of years.

Did Bill Gates have an affair?

Board members are said to have carried out an investigation into the billionaire’s romantic relationship with a Microsoft engineer in late 2019 after she claimed in a letter she had a sexual relationship with Gates for a number of years.

The relationship was deemed by the board to be “inappropriate,” people familiar with events told .

The fifth richest person in the world

Last year, the 65-year-old became the world's second-richest person – with a measly $124billion fortune – as he stepped down from 's board to focus on their charitable endeavors.

He's currently the fifth richest man in the world given the divorce between his ex-wife Melinda.

Although he's given $50 billion to charity since 1994, Gates is earning money at a faster rate than he's donated it, according to reports.

What is Bill Gates' net worth?

As of May 2021, Gates' net worth was estimated at roughly more than $130.5billion, according to .

Forbes highlights:

• Bill Gates co-chairs the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest private charitable foundation.
• In May 2020, the Gates Foundation said it would spend $300 million to fight the coronavirus pandemic, funding treatment, detection and vaccines.
• Gates has sold or given away much of his stake in Microsoft -- he owns just over 1% of shares -- and invested in a mix of stocks and other assets.
• To date, Gates has donated $35.8 billion worth of Microsoft stock to the Gates Foundation.

Who is Bill Gates?

Bill Gates is the founder of Microsoft.

In 2000, he and his then-wife Melinda Gates worked together to form the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the largest charitable foundations in the world with an endowment of $50billion.

Bill Gates stepped down from the board of Microsoft on March 13, 2020, nearly 45 years after he founded the company with Paul Allen and 20 years after he stepped down as CEO in 2000.

Gates grew up in Seattle, Washington with his two sisters and parents. He started Microsoft with Paul Allen after dropping out of college.