Melinda French Gates has spoken candidly about the effect meeting Jeffrey Epstein had on her, saying the encounter left her shaken and contributed to nightmares.
Discussing the encounter, she said it left a lasting impression and described Epstein as ‘evil’. The comments have resurfaced amid renewed attention on Epstein’s network and the continuing public scrutiny of the people who associated with him.
Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender, was first convicted in 2008 after pleading guilty in Florida to state charges involving the solicitation of prostitution from a minor. He died in a New York jail in August 2019 while awaiting federal trial on sex-trafficking charges. For years, victims have described the abuse they say they suffered at his homes and properties, including allegations linked to his private island, Little Saint James.
A number of well-known people have appeared in documents released in court proceedings and from Epstein-related records, although being named in those files alone does not automatically imply wrongdoing or criminal conduct.
In comments to The Guardian, French Gates explained the strong reaction she had to him. She has previously said she met Epstein only once because she wanted to see for herself who he was, and that afterward she regretted it.
“Any woman who has ever been around somebody who is evil or had an experience and then if you’re around somebody else who is evil. Just no, no,” she said.
She went on to underline her view of Epstein, adding: “Well, I had not been silent. I had been asked before what I thought of Epstein, and I had spoken my truth about what I had experienced.”
French Gates also said: “He was an abhorrent human being, a horrid man, and so in these situations – this is a hard topic for me, you need to know that – my heart goes out to the young girls.”
She continued: “I just spoke the truth, which is they deserve some peace, and they deserve some justice.”
The Guardian also reported that she summed up her feelings with a pointed question, reflecting on the instinctive reaction she had after being in his presence.
She said: “Have you ever in your life been around somebody that you just know is evil?
“There you go. You just have your answer. We need to listen to our feelings about people.”
French Gates was married to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates for 27 years before the pair announced their divorce in May 2021. In later interviews, she has suggested his meetings with Epstein were among the issues that deeply troubled her during the marriage, though she has also said questions about the full extent of that relationship should be answered by others, not by her.
Bill Gates has previously acknowledged that spending time with Epstein was a mistake and said he regretted ever knowing him. He has said their meetings were connected to discussions about philanthropy and global health, and he has denied being involved in any of Epstein’s criminal conduct.
In a separate conversation with NPR’s Wild Card host Rachel Martin, French Gates spoke about the way she handles especially challenging periods in life, framing hope and community as the things that help carry her through.
“Hope. Always hope,” she replied. “When I’m really in despair, it’s probably one of the best times to go out and see community work, either in the United States or another country.”
She added: “When you see people helping one another, and you see people saying, ‘You know what, I can make sure this kid gets on this path’, or, ‘I’m going to tutor that kid’, or ‘I’m going to show up and serve on a food line on a cold day’, right?
“It just reminds you that, our humanity– there’s so much hope in the world. There’s so much goodness.”
Her remarks fit with a broader public message she has emphasized since the divorce: a focus on women’s rights, philanthropy and rebuilding after painful life transitions. Through Pivotal Ventures, the organization she founded in 2015, French Gates has continued to back initiatives centered on gender equity, caregiving, political representation and women’s health in the US and globally.