Philanthropist and former Microsoft executive Melinda French Gates is once again making headlines—not for her work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation—but for offering deeply personal reflections on her 2021 divorce from billionaire tech mogul Bill Gates after nearly three decades of marriage.
Appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as part of the media tour for her upcoming memoir, Melinda opened up about the emotional journey that led to the end of her marriage, citing a critical breakdown in honesty and trust as the core reason for their split.
“Without honesty, you can’t have trust, and without trust, you can’t have intimacy,” she told Colbert, her voice calm but resolute.
Married in 1994, Bill and Melinda Gates were for years seen as one of the most powerful and philanthropic couples in the world. But behind the scenes, Melinda reveals, things were falling apart. Her memoir delves into the emotional weight of staying in a relationship that no longer aligned with her values or needs, particularly when transparency and vulnerability were lacking.
“I learned that to have a trusted relationship, both partners must be open and truthful with one another,” she writes. “If that’s missing, everything falls apart. And in the end, I had to walk away.”
READ ALSO: Split with Melinda a very sad milestone, says Bill Gates
The Gateses publicly announced their separation in May 2021, shocking many observers. Though they vowed to continue working together on philanthropic efforts, the divorce marked the end of a 27-year partnership that had built not only a family—with three children—but a foundation that’s impacted global health and education on an unprecedented scale.
The memoir, which blends personal stories with broader reflections on womanhood, resilience, and reinvention, is part of Melinda’s journey to reclaim her voice and independence post-divorce. Since their separation, she has increasingly focused on advocating for women’s rights, global health equity, and financial empowerment.
Her candid revelations have struck a chord with many navigating relationship challenges behind closed doors. For Melinda, stepping away wasn’t just about ending a marriage—it was about choosing honesty, healing, and ultimately, self-respect.
As she told Colbert, “There comes a point when silence does more harm than good. I had to speak my truth—to him, and to myself.”