Melinda Gates is not engaged to Jon Du Pre, despite sparking rumors.
A rep denied the speculation after Gates, 59, was photographed over the weekend wearing a large diamond ring on her finger. “Melinda is not engaged and is no longer dating Jon Du Pre,” a spokesperson said in a statement to Page Six on Monday, April 22.
Gates and Du Pre, 70, were originally linked in 2022 when they were spotted together at a basketball game. The former Fox News correspondent shares three children with his ex-wife Gina Larsen: Kasey, Jonny and Jessie. Melinda, meanwhile, shares three kids with ex-husband Bill Gates.
Melinda’s romance with Du Pre marked her first public relationship since announcing her divorce from Bill, 68, in May 2021.
“After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage,” they wrote in a joint statement while referring to 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.”
The statement concluded: “We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives. We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life.”
The pair’s divorce was finalized in August 2021, three months after they announced their separation. Melinda has since opened up about what led to the end of their marriage.
“It wasn’t one moment or one specific thing that happened,” she told CBS Mornings in March 2022. “There just came a point in time where there was enough there that I realized it just wasn’t healthy and I couldn’t trust what we had.”
Bill weighed in on Melinda’s comments two months later, sharing on Today, “This was a very tough thing. We had a lot of amazing things in our marriage. The kids, the foundation, the enjoyment we had. And so it’s a very hard adjustment. I know divorces are different, but it’s just a complete change. We were partners, we kind of grew up together, and now that’s different. We’re not married.”
The billionaire explained how he and Melinda were able to move forward after their split.
“The divorce is definitely a sad thing. I have responsibility for causing a lot of pain to my family. It was a tough year. I feel good that all of us are moving forward now,” he continued. “I certainly made mistakes and I take responsibility. I don’t think delving into the particulars at this point is constructive, but yes I caused pain and I feel terrible about that.”
