Melinda French Gatesis hopeful about finding love again.
The philanthropist, 57, spoke candidly about her life in a wide-ranging interview withCBS Mornings’Gayle Kingon Thursday — which marked the first time she has spoken publicly about her high-profile divorce fromBill Gates.
“On the day I got married, I never thought I would end up being divorced,” Melinda said during the sit-down. “Unfortunately, I felt like I needed to take a different path.”
Asked about if she’s open to dating in the future, Melinda told King, 67, with a smile that she “definitely” is, adding, “I hope that happens for me again.”
“I’m dipping my toe in that water a little bit,” Melinda said, noting that the “water” is “interesting, at this point.”
Melinda French Gates.
Earlier in the conversation, Melinda shared that when she and Bill, 66, made their divorce announcement last May, she knew it “was going to be a surprise to people.”
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“I felt bad about that but I didn’t have any sense of how big of news it would be,” Melinda added. “You can’t anticipate something like that.”
Asked about the affairBill had with a staffer 20 years ago— which a spokesperson for the Microsoft co-founder confirmed last May — Melinda shared she believes “in forgiveness” and “thought we had worked through some of that.”
“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 explained.
She went on to tell King that rumors about multiple affairs on her ex’s end are “questions Bill needs to answer.”
As for where things stand with Bill now, Melinda said they “have a working relationship” and are “friendly,” but that there’s “still healing that needs to happen” for her to consider them friends.
Melinda Gates.Noam Galai/WireImage
“I had a lot of tears for many days — days where I’m literally laying on the floor, the carpet this close to me, thinking, ‘How can this be? How can I get up? How am I gonna move forward?’ Days where I certainly was angry; this is painful stuff,” she said.
“At the end of the day, though, I started on this journey of healing, and I feel like I’m starting to get to the other side. And I do feel like I’mturning a page in the chapternow,” Melinda added.
As for their split, Melinda said she doesn’t “question” her decisions “at all.”
“I gave every single piece of myself to this marriage. I was committed to this marriage on the day we got engaged until the day we got out of it,” she said. “Society used to put things on women, like it was our fault — no. I did nothing wrong, so I hold my head high.”
RELATED VIDEO: Melinda Gates Calls Marriage to Bill “Irretrievably Broken,” Declines Spousal Support Despite No Prenup
Reflecting on their divorce last year, Billcalled 2021 the “most unusual and difficult year of my life.”
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Touching on their decision tocontinue working togetherat the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Microsoft co-founder wrote in ayear-in-review blog postthat the exes “have found a good new working rhythm.”
Although there were some bright moments last year — includingdaughter Jennifer’s wedding, which he called the “highlight of my year — Bill acknowledged that it was a “challenging time” for everyone as well as a “year of great personal sadness for me.”
source: people.com
