Melinda Gates Reveals The Status Of Her Relationship With Ex Bill Nearly 1 Year After Split

It's been nearly a year since Bill and Melinda Gates announced they were divorcing, and she opened up about where they stand now as they continue to work together following the split.

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Melinda Gates is on amicable terms with her ex-husband, Bill Gates, nearly one year after their divorce. “We certainly have a working relationship,” she told Gayle King on the March 3 episode of CBS This Morning. “I would say we’re friendly at this point. Friends is a different word for me. That might come over time, but there’s still healing that needs to happen. I certainly wish him well. I don’t wish him harm. And I think we have a productive working relationship and I think that will continue.”

In May 2021, Melinda and Bill shocked fans when they announced that they would be divorcing after 27 years of marriage and three children together. “I think we knew when the divorce was announced that it would be a surprise to people,” Melinda admitted. “I felt bad about that, but I had no sense of how big of news it would be. You can’t anticipate something like that.”

Days after news of the split went public, Bill admitted to having an affair while he was married to Melinda. “There was an affair almost 20 years ago, which ended amicably,” a rep for the Microsoft co-founder confirmed at the time. When Melinda was asked on CBS This Morning about the rumor that there were other affairs throughout the marriage, she kept tight-lipped. “I think that’s something that Bill needs to answer,” she said. Melinda made it clear, though, that it wasn’t just “one thing” that led to the divorce. “It wasn’t one moment or one specific thing that happened,” she explained. “There just came a point in time when I realized there was enough there where I knew it wasn’t healthy and I couldn’t trust what we had.” Even now, Melinda said she still has some tough days, but she’s excited about what’s ahead. She even revealed that she’s started “dipping [her] toes” in the dating pool again. “I hope that happens for me again!” she gushed. “[Dating has been] interesting, at this point. But why not?!” She and Bill are continuing to work on their philanthropy together.