What's The Latest With Bill And Melinda Gates' Divorce?
On May 3, Bill and Melinda Gates made a surprising revelation: they're divorcing after 27 years of marriage. The duo announced their split via a joint Twitter statement, saying that the decision to divorce came "after a great deal of though and a lot of work on [their] relationship."
In the aftermath of their announcement, there has been a great deal of speculation around the entire Gates family. The former couple's statement itself did not divulge many details about how they'll move forward, though they did commit to a united front when it comes to their children and their foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives," they explained in their statement, adding that they "will continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue to work together at [their] foundation."
So, what comes next for Bill and Melinda Gates, and how are they getting along? Keep reading to learn what we know about the latest on their divorce.
A 'combo of things' allegedly led to Bill and Melinda Gates' divorce
While news of Bill and Melinda Gates' divorce came as a shock to many, it may have been less of a surprise to those close to them.
A source told People on May 7 that a "combo of things" led to their divorce, and that their children may have held the marriage together for years. "It's absolutely because their youngest child [Phoebe] is graduating from high school, and the idea was that they stayed together through that," the source explained. "They limped through until their kids were out of school like a lot of people."
The source also noted that Bill and Melinda will work to keep things civil. "Nobody is going to want to invite more scrutiny because it'll hurt their credibility," the source explained, adding that they don't think Bill or Melinda are "so angry that anybody wants to take each other down. [Melinda is] not incentivized for that."
TMZ, however, reported that Melinda and her family are "furious" with Bill, and that everyone is taking Melinda's "side" due to "various [unnamed] things" Bill allegedly did.
Meanwhile, eyes are on the former couple's philanthropic ventures. While the People source believes both parties will remain committed to their foundation, they both apparently still have another big goal in mind: "They were really interested in trying to win a Nobel Prize," the source explained, adding that this shared goal may also incentivize the couple to keep things civil.