Bill Gates appears on daughter Jennifer’s Instagram ahead of first divorce hearing

Bill Gates has spent time with his and Melinda Gates’ eldest daughter Jennifer Gates ahead of the couple’s first divorce hearing.

On Thursday, Jennifer, 25, shared a photo of herself and her billionaire father to her Instagram Stories, where they can be seen smiling while posing next to one another.

The photo sees the pair dressed casually and appearing to be at home, while a dog can be seen walking towards the father-daughter duo.

“Nothing better than quality time with family members,” Jennifer captioned the photo.

The pair’s “quality time” spent together came a day before the Microsoft cofounder and his wife of 27 years are set to begin divorce proceedings, with their first hearing scheduled for Friday 14 May, according to reports.

Bill and Melinda announced their intention to end their marriage on 3 May in a joint statement, in which the philanthropist couple said: “After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage.

“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.

“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.”

Following the announcement, Jennifer shared a statement of her own, in which she also asked for privacy as her family navigates the “challenging stretch of time”.

“By now, many of you have heard the news that my parents are separating,” the 25-year-old wrote on Instagram. “It’s been a challenging stretch of time for our whole family.

“I’m still learning how to best support my own process and emotions as well as family members at this time, and am grateful for the space to do so.”

The couple’s eldest child then thanked those who had offered support and kind words, before stating that she would not be commenting anything further about the separation.

“Thank you for understanding our desire for privacy while we navigate the next phases of our lives,” she concluded.

In addition to Jennifer, Bill and Melinda also share son Rory, 21, and daughter Phoebe, 18.

While the exact reasons for the couple’s divorce have not been disclosed, Melinda cited the marriage as being “irretrievably broken” in court papers.

The hearing will take place in King County, Washington, according to Business Insider.

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