Melinda French Gates' trust was 'broken' prior to her divorce from Bill Gates

Melinda French Gates says that her trust was "broken" during her marriage to Bill Gates, which is eventually what led to their divorce.

During an exclusive interview with Gayle King for CBS Mornings, French Gates reflected on her "journey of healing" following her split from her husband of 27 years, which was announced last May.

French Gates said that following the divorce, there were days where she was angry, but "that's part of the grieving process."

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"You're grieving a loss of something you thought you had and thought you had for your lifetime," the 57-year-old said in a rare television interview, the first time she has publicly spoken about her divorce.

The full interview is set to air Thursday local time.

French Gates said she cried "a lot of tears for many days" after the split, and revealed she once lied on the carpet thinking, "How can this be? How can I get up? How am I going to move forward?"

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French Gates said the divorce is "painful stuff" but it started her "journey of healing."

"I feel like I'm starting to get to the other side. And I do feel like I'm turning a page in the chapter now," she said.

"I mean, it's 2022, and I'm actually really excited about what's to come and life ahead for me."

She was asked by King about her former husband's affair in 2000, to which she said she believes in forgiveness, and she had "thought we had worked through some of that."

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"It wasn't one moment or one specific thing that happened. There just came a point in time where there was enough there that I realised it just wasn't healthy, and I couldn't trust what we had," French Gates said.

King then asked French Gates if, once trust is broken, it is hard to get back, to which French Gates responded: "Very, it's very hard to get it back, in any relationship."

French Gates and Gates' divorce was finalised in August last year, and a two-year trial period where the former couple would test working together still with their Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.