Melinda French Gates said in a new interview that her reaction to Jeffrey Epstein was immediate and unsettling, revisiting concerns she has previously raised about the convicted sex offender.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Melinda French Gates said she learned to trust her instincts after encountering Jeffrey Epstein, describing the convicted sex offender as someone who left her deeply uneasy and warning others not to ignore their internal reactions to people.
French Gates discussed Epstein in an interview with The Guardian published this week, reflecting on past contact with the financier and the emotional response she said he provoked.
Asked whether she had ever been around someone she believed was evil, French Gates pointed to Epstein, whose sex-crime cases and relationships with prominent figures have remained the subject of public scrutiny for years.
“We need to listen to our feelings about people,” French Gates told the newspaper.
The discussion appeared to affect her strongly. According to The Guardian, French Gates considered ending the interview while speaking about Epstein. The newspaper reported that she looked out the window of her Seattle home with her hand on her chest as she described her physical reaction.
“My heart is racing,” she said.
Her comments revisited an issue that has drawn attention since her 2021 divorce from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. French Gates has previously said she was troubled by her former husband’s meetings with Epstein after Epstein had pleaded guilty to sex-related charges involving a minor.
French Gates has also previously said she met Epstein once and regretted it. She described the encounter as deeply disturbing and said she told her then-husband how she felt about him.
Epstein died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide. His criminal cases and death intensified scrutiny of his relationships with political, business and cultural figures, many of whom later faced questions about their contacts with him.
In the Guardian interview, French Gates did not provide new details about specific interactions with Epstein. Instead, she used the subject to emphasize judgment, personal instincts and the importance of paying attention to warning signs.
The remarks came during a broader conversation about relationships, decision-making and lessons from her personal and professional life.
French Gates, a philanthropist and advocate for women’s issues, has spoken more openly in recent years about major changes in her life, including her divorce, her philanthropic work and the difficult decisions she has faced in both public and private settings.
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