Melinda Gates Breaks Her Silence on Bill Gates' Affair, Divorce

Melinda Gates is breaking her silence following her divorce from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. In a preview of CBS Mornings' exclusive interview with the philanthropist, set to air on Thursday, March 3, Gates opened up about everything from their split to her ex-husband's affair, admitting that there "wasn't one moment" that led to separation after nearly 30 years of marriage.

Speaking with Gayle King, Gates shared that she "certainly believe in forgiveness," admitting that she initially believed she and her ex-husband "had worked through some of that." Gates said that "it wasn't one moment or one specific thing that happened," but rather "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."

Gates and her husband announced in May 2021 that "after a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage." Shortly after that announcement, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Microsoft cofounder had a years-long affair with one of the company's engineers. A representative for the billionaire later confirmed the report, sharing in a statement that "there was an affair almost 20 years ago which ended amicably." In her petition for divorce, Gates said their marriage "irretrievably broken." The former couple finalized their divorce in August, with Gates reflecting on the emotions she felt throughout the process.

"I think it's really important to say, look, I had a lot of tears for many days," she said. "I mean, [I had] days where I'm literally laying on the floor and the carpet, you know, this close to me, thinking, 'How can this be? How can I get up? How am I gonna move forward?' And days I certainly was 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. I mean, this is painful stuff."

Now, Gates shared that she feels like she's "starting to get to the other side" on her "journey of healing." Gates told King, "I do feel like I'm turning a page in the chapter. I mean, it's 2022, and I'm actually really excited about what's to come and life ahead for me."

Gates and her ex-husband met in 1987 while working at Microsoft. At the time, Gates was just 24 and had only just begun working at the company. Bill was 31 and the CEO. They married in Hawaii in 1994, and just a year later, Bill officially became the richest man in the world. Their divorce was finalized in August 2021.