'Painful times for my marriage' - Melinda French Gates react to ex-husband in Epstein files

Billionaire philanthropist Melinda French Gates say as dem don name her ex-husband, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates for new files wey relate to di late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein bring up "painful times for my marriage".

She tell one NPR podcast say she feel "unbelievable sadness", and say "wateva kwesions remain" dose wey dem name for di records gatz give ansa, including her ex-husband.

"I dey so happy to dey away from all di muck," she tok. Di couple divorce for 2021.

Records released by di US justice department include allegation by Epstein say Bill Gates bin catch sexually transmitted disease. Gates tok tok pesin call di claim "absolutely absurd".

Di BBC don contact im representatives for comments about wetin im ex-wife tok.

Bill Gates neva dey accused wrongdoing by any of Epstein victims, and di appearance of im name for difiles no mean criminal activity of any kind.

Di billionaire don break im silence on di release of files by di US Department of Justice (DOJ) for interview wit 9News for Australia. E say di interactions wit Epstein dey limited to dinners and say e no visit Epstein island.

"Evri minute I spend wit am I regret and I apologise say I do dat," Gates tok.

For di interview wit NPR Wild Card podcast, Melinda French Gates say: "For me, e dey personally hard weneva dose details come up, right? Becos e bring back memories of some veri, very painful times for my marriage."

She add: "Wateva questions remain dia - I no even fit begin to know all of it - dose questions na for dose pipo and for even my ex-husband. Dem need to ansa to dose tins, not me."

US media don report say bifor dia separation - wey follow 27 years of marriage - Melinda French Gates dey upset about her husband association wit Epstein.

Afta dia split dey announced, Bill Gates acknowledge say e get affair wit Microsoft employee for 2019.

Di allegations about Bill Gates dey included for more dan three million documents released last week by di DOJ.

Two emails from 18 July 2013 appear to have been drafted by Epstein, but e dey unclear if na Gates send am.

Dem send both from Epstein email account and back to di same account, while no email account associated wit Gates dey visible and both emails dey unsigned.

One email be like resignation letter from di Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and complain about buying medicine for Bill "to deal wit di consequences of sex wit Russian girls".

Di oda, wey begin wit "dear Bill", complain about Bill Gates ending friendship and make more claim about Bill Gates trying to to cover up a sexually transmitted infection, including from im former wife, Melinda.

For im interview wit Australian media, Bill Gates add say dem neva send di email and di contents of di mail dey "false".

Ova di years, Bill Gates and im representatives don downplay im connection wit Epstein. E don previously say dem only get "several dinners" to discuss a philanthropy project wey no happun.

Afta di latest allegations, tok tok pesin for Bill Gates say: "Di only tin dis documents demonstrate na Epstein frustration say e no get ongoing relationship wit Gates and di e fit go to entrap and defame."

Dem add: "Dis claims na from proven liar and e dey absolutely absurd and completely false."

Many of di documents, emails and fotos wey dey included for di millions of files released by di DOJ last week put light on Epstein vast network of celebrities, business chiefs and world leaders - including di contacts wey dey for some cases even afta im 2008 conviction for soliciting sex from 14-year-old girl.

Epstein die for New York jail for 2019 while awaiting trial for sex-trafficking case.