Body Language Expert Says Melinda Gates Showed Three Distinct Sides Of Herself In Tell-All Interview - Exclusive

For the first time since her divorce from Bill Gates after 27 years of marriage, Melinda French Gates — who has re-adopted her maiden name — has spoken on the record about her relationship. The philanthropist held an interview with Gayle King on "CBS Mornings" on March 3 and talked about the "many things" that led to her divorcing the computer software giant.

One of those "many things" was the work Bill Gates did with the infamous convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who reportedly committed suicide in prison in 2019. Though Gates said meeting Epstein was "a substantial error in judgement" (per CBS), The New York Times reported in 2019 that Gates first met Epstein in 2011, after Epstein had already been in jail for sex offenses. French Gates admitted to King that she also met Epstein "exactly one time" because "I wanted to see who this man was." She regretted it instantly, calling him "abhorrent" and "evil personified." When King tried to ask follow-up questions about Gates's relationship with Epstein — or Gate's alleged affairs with other women — French Gates shut it down immediately, saying, "those are questions Bill needs to answer."

King explained that French Gates spoke with her because "she said, 'I want people to know I'm moving on with my life." Body language expert and communication coach Jess Ponce III seems to agree. Here's what he exclusively told Nicki Swift.

In an exclusive interview with communication coach Jess Ponce III, who authored the book "A.W.E.S.O.M.E.: Seven Keys to Unlocking the Speaker Within," we learned that Melinda French Gates was very deliberate in her answers to Gayle King's questions in the "CBS Mornings" interview. Ponce explained that French Gates "doesn't need to do" interviews, yet specifically chose to meet with King. "Automatically, this gives her an advantage to design what she wants to say and [she] was, indeed, very well prepared." He also explained that we saw three different sides of the Gates Foundation co-founder.

The first of those is the ex-wife of a high-profile individual, the former spouse of Bill Gates. Ponce said French Gates was "cautious, deliberate, and thoughtful in her responses." He added, "You can tell when she was thinking because she looked to the side or downward." He also said her folding her hands in her lap while speaking of her divorce "signified a person with composure and intent ... measured, non-emotional, and purposeful in what she was going to say."

Ponce also explained that French Gates had "resolve in her prepared, media savvy response," particularly when telling King to ask Gates himself regarding questions about his affair or his interactions with Jeffrey Epstein. He also said French Gates's discussion of Epstein was "one of the first times we saw Melinda's passion," particularly as she expressed sympathy for Epstein's underage victims.

Melinda French Gates showed her second side as a philanthropist and entrepreneur in her interview with Gayle King. Jess Ponce III said she looked more animated in parts, particularly "when speaking about matters of the heart and her passion for social causes, especially those that relate to women." He explained that her throwing her hands up meant she was no longer "trying to control and measure her responses accordingly." Her smile also said she was "comfortable and welcoming of the questions."

The third side of French Gates, per Ponce, illustrated what King said she set out to do: she was ready to move on with her life. Ponce said the "passionate woman" spoke with a "unique relatability in her tone of voice," one that was "casual, [with] a cadence that seemed inviting and comfortable" — such that a viewer "would not know she was a rich, well-known personality." When French Gates moved her hands to her heart while discussing the trust that had broken down between herself and her ex-husband, Ponce said that illustrated it as "a heartfelt comment." He also said some might describe her as "giddy" when French Gates spoke about the possibility of dating again.

Ponce concluded by saying French Gates "took charge of her brand and how she wanted to come across," skillfully answering questions that she knew would be uncomfortable. "As a media coach, I think she did an excellent job [of] presenting the multiple sides of a woman we think we know, but may not completely know."