Melinda is now looking forward to what the future has in store for her, as she said, "I'm actually really excited about what's to come and life ahead for me."
Editor's note: This article was originally published on March 3, 2022. It has since been updated.
For the first time ever, Melinda French Gates is opening up about her divorce from Bill Gates. In a preview of CBS Mornings' exclusive interview with the philanthropist, Melinda said that there "wasn't one moment" that led to their split. During the interview, Melinda was asked about the affair her ex-husband had with a staffer 20 years ago, which a spokesperson for the Microsoft co-founder confirmed last May, per PEOPLE.
"I certainly believe in forgiveness, so I thought we had worked through some of that," said the author and women's advocate, 57. "It wasn't one moment or one specific thing that happened. There just came a point in time where there was enough there that I realized it just wasn't healthy, and I couldn't trust what we had," she added.
Bill and Melinda Gates announced their split in May 2021, after 27 years of marriage. At the time, they released a joint statement saying that "we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives."
In her petition for divorce, she went on to describe her marriage as "irretrievably broken." They went on to finalize their divorce in August the same year. Getting a divorce after being married for nearly three decades is not going to be easy, and Melinda told CBS' Gayle King that she cried "a lot of tears for many days."
Other times, Melinda recalled feeling angry. "That's part of the grieving process. You're grieving a loss of something you thought you had and thought you had for your lifetime," she said.
However, Melinda is now ready to put everything in the past and start anew, as she said she feels like she's "starting to get to the other side" on her "journey of healing."
"I do feel like I'm turning a page in the chapter," she shared. "I mean, it's 2022 and I'm actually really excited about what's to come and life ahead for me."
Previously, Bill, 66, also reflected on their divorce in December, calling 2021 the "most unusual and difficult year of my life."
Speaking about their decision to continue to work together at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which they started in 2000, Bill wrote in a year-in-review blog post that the exes "have found a good new working rhythm."
"But I can't deny that it's been a year of great personal sadness for me," he added.
References:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/melinda-french-gates-opens-divorce-journey-of-healing/
https://people.com/human-interest/melinda-gates-was-aware-bill-had-some-issues-source-says/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Getty Images
