Melinda Gates recalls ‘scariest’ moment she told Bill she wanted divorce, says it led to panic attacks
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Melinda Gates vividly remembers the moment she told Bill Gates she wanted to live separately, marking the beginning of their divorce process.
The conversation took place during a trip to New Mexico in February 2020, a vacation she had originally planned to take alone.
Melinda Gates reflects on telling Bill Gates she wanted divorce: ‘It was one of the scariest conversations’
Despite trying to keep it like any other trip, on the last night, Melinda Gates told Bill she wanted to separate.
The process that followed was emotionally and mentally exhausting.
During their stay in a rental home—ironically available because another couple had split—Melinda decided it was time to voice her feelings.
“It was one of the scariest conversations I’d have had,” she writes in her forthcoming book, 'The Next Day'. Bill was “sad and upset” but also “understanding and respectful,” she recalls, according to People.
At the time, their youngest daughter, Phoebe Gates, was finishing high school, so Melinda suggested they continue living together in their Seattle home until Phoebe graduated.
Melinda Gates says she ‘started having panic attacks’ after asking for divorce
By the summer of 2020, Melinda Gates felt it was time to take the next step.
She told Bill she wanted a divorce, leading to a long, at times “tender” conversation. However, she knew the road ahead would be difficult.
“Bill has a reputation for being one of the toughest negotiators in the world,” she writes as per the excerpts of the book obtained by the outlet, adding that she “started having panic attacks.”
The legal process of finalizing their split was “grueling” and took longer than she expected, though once an agreement was reached, things moved quickly.
Melinda Gates opens up on divorce announcement
On May 3, 2021, the couple publicly announced their divorce after informing close associates at their foundation.
At home with Phoebe, then 18, Melinda watched as the news spread online.
“We laughed a little, but I wasn’t really in a celebratory mood,” she writes, recalling that Phoebe even showed her some memes about the announcement.
As per the publication, she didn't reveal what led to the divorce, even though she has consistently stated that only Bill can tell that part of the story that led to the divorce.
Now focused on her next chapter, including philanthropic work through Pivotal Ventures, she told People, “It takes courage forging a different life. When you change paths, you realize, oh, it’s a big opening.”
