Melinda Gates says meeting Jeffrey Epstein gave her ‘nightmares’

In a no-holds-barred new interview, Melinda Gates has recalled having “nightmares” after her horror first meeting with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Melinda Gates spoke out for the first time about her divorce from tech billionaire Bill Gates in an interview on Thursday, and specifically talked about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

Melinda sat down with CBS’ Gayle King for a bombshell tell-all interview that aired on Thursday morning at 7am in the US, and in it, she spoke about everything from their marriage, to meeting Epstein, to working together with her husband now that they have split.

In May 2021, Bill and Melinda announced they were ending their marriage after 27 years.

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Bill and Melinda Gates with their children Jennifer, Rory and Phoebe.

Microsoft 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 years.

In the interview, Melinda talked about Bill’s infidelity and when asked whether he had cheated multiple times, she replied: “Those are questions Bill needs to answer.”

The duo also spoke about other topics, including what it was like to meet Epstein.

Bill Gates’ early days have come under scrutiny amid his marriage breakdown. Picture: AFP.

Gates’ biographers said Melinda was angered by her husband's friendship with Epstein.

“I also met Jeffrey Epstein exactly one time,” she explained. “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,” Melinda said. “I had nightmares about it afterwards.”

In a statement to CBS, Bill said: “Meeting with Epstein was a mistake that I regret deeply. It was a substantial error in judgment.”

Bill and Melinda Gates confirmed their split last May. Picture: Getty Images.

Bill Gates’ friendship with Epstein has perplexed many observers who wonder why the philanthropist would have anything to do with a convicted sex offender.

The two men first got to know each other in January 2011, three years after Epstein was convicted of procuring a child for prostitution.

Gates went to the financial adviser’s giant 40-room home on New York’s Upper East Side at 8pm and spent several hours there. Also present was Dr Eva Andersson-Dubin – a former Miss Sweden and ex-girlfriend of Epstein – along with her 15-year-old daughter.

Epstein later bragged about the meeting in emails to a friend, seen by The New York Times, writing: “Bill’s great”.

Meanwhile, Gates reportedly informed colleagues that he found the financier’s lifestyle “kind of intriguing”. It was the first of a series of meetings between the computer genius and the sex offender – including a trip on his private jet.

Gates’ has called his friendship with Epstein ‘a substantial error in judgement’.

Elsewhere in her interview, Melinda said she and her ex were “friendly” as they continued to work together for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

“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.”

She added that she “believes in forgiveness” when asked about Bill’s affair with a Microsoft employee in 2000.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and is reproduced here with permission