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Melinda Gates Opens Up on Divorce: Epstein's Shadow and the Unseen Strain

Introduction

Ever wondered what the stars have in store when things on earth turn deliciously messy, especially when it involves one of tech’s most famous power couples? As Mercury, the planet of communication, goes retrograde in fiery Aries, it’s a time where past issues tend to resurface with a vengeance, influencing events on a transformative level. Reading Time: 3… minutes!

The cosmos certainly had something cooking in 2019 for Melinda Gates, as she released her memoir, The Next Day, which has hit bookshelves just in time for us to analyze how the astrological currents might’ve played a role.

In true Scorpio fashion, Melinda has an intense and enigmatic aura in public, but behind closed doors, the stars predict the chaos brewing in the depths of her life. It might just be that Mercury retrograde that exposes truths, secrets, and all those things that get you questioning what’s real!

Well, her ex, Bill Gates, might find this whole astrology-satire-amidst-a-divorce storyline pretty un-astro-damn-ainable, seeing as marriage, careers, power, sex, censorship, and a myriad of other subjects have put his portrait in a light he might not call friendly. However, rarely do we get to peak behind the facade of these moon-ruled Scorpio storytimes; they’re playing out like personal Saturn Returns.

Stop the typing machine, folks; Kanye is probably busy losing it since he got good astro news! Melinda’s memoir gives us a glimpse into 2019, the year when her relationship with Bill started to show the fissures in their galactic union.

According to the tabloid gods, and our friend Melinda’s memoir, it was in that very year when The New York Times unleashed a universe-shaking article about Bill, painting him in more shades than a black hole sucking in light at the speed of light.

So, is it astrology, karma, or just the insidious dance of Uranian energy causing us to reveal our deepest insecurities? That’s a question for the star gods. But if Venus in Aries taught us anything, it’s that it’s never too late to start anew; her words, “I made that clear to him,” echo in our minds like the distant ringing of Saturn’s rings; a subtle menace if not respected.

Learn More: [HERE] learns more!(https://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2025/04/melinda-gates-reflects-on-end-of-marriage-to-bill-in-memoir-the-next-day/)Reading Time: 3 minutes

Melinda Gates has released a new memoir titled The Next Day.

And while her split from billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates has been mostly amicable, he’s probably not entirely thrilled with the way he’s portrayed in his ex’s new book.

Though the dissolution of her marriage is not the central focus of the memoir, Melinda does provide new details pertaining to the events of 2019, the year, she says, when her relationship with Bill began to crumble.

Gates Foundation Co-Chair Melinda Gates participates in a panel discussion during the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings April 20, 2017 in Washington, DC.Gates Foundation Co-Chair Melinda Gates participates in a panel discussion during the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings April 20, 2017 in Washington, DC.
Gates Foundation Co-Chair Melinda Gates participates in a panel discussion during the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings April 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The beginning of the end for Bill and Melinda

“That October, things had reached a fever pitch when The New York Times published a deeply disturbing article that raised serious questions about Bill’s conduct — questions that suggested he had betrayed not only our marriage but also my values,” reads a section of the book excerpted today by Page Six.

According to Page Six, the article Melinda refers to contained information about Bill’s alleged affairs, as well as his meetings with the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Melinda first expressed her displeasure with the Epstein meetings in a 2022 interview:

“I did not like that he had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, no. I made that clear to him,” she said at the time.

Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates introduce the Goalkeepers event at the Lincoln Center on September 26, 2018, in New York. Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates introduce the Goalkeepers event at the Lincoln Center on September 26, 2018, in New York.
Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates introduce the Goalkeepers event at the Lincoln Center on September 26, 2018, in New York. (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images)

She admits to meeting with Epstein once, because she “wanted to see who” he was. But she says she instantly regretted the decision.

“I regretted it the second I walked in the door,” Melinda said. “He was abhorrent. He was evil personified. My heart breaks for these women.”

Bill eventually came to share Melinda’s low opinion of Epstein.

“In retrospect, I was foolish to spend any time with him,” he recently told the Wall Street Journal while promoting his own memoir, Source Code.

Melinda Gates and Bill Gates of the Gates Foundation, winners of the Public Service Award, are seen during the The Lasker Awards 2013 on September 20, 2013 in New York City. Melinda Gates and Bill Gates of the Gates Foundation, winners of the Public Service Award, are seen during the The Lasker Awards 2013 on September 20, 2013 in New York City.
Melinda Gates and Bill Gates of the Gates Foundation, winners of the Public Service Award, are seen during the The Lasker Awards 2013 on September 20, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Brian Ach/Getty Images for The Lasker Foundation)

“I think I was quite stupid. I thought it would help me with global health philanthropy. In fact, it failed to do that. It was just a huge mistake.”

According to the outlet, Epstein threatened to expose Bill’s alleged affair with Russian bridge player Mila Antonova in 2017 after the tech billionaire declined to join his charitable fund with JPMorgan Chase.

A new day

In her book, which hit stores Tuesday, Melinda wrote that leaving her marriage “was one of the hardest and most important things I’ve ever done.”

These days, both parties have moved on to new relationships: her with entrepreneur boyfriend, Philip Vaughn, him with philanthropist Paula Hurd.

Insiders say Bill and Melinda have been amicably co-parenting their three children — but it sounds like Melinda would be the first to admit that the split was not always an easy one.

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