Full Breakdown
Gayle King Confronts Decades-Long Rumors About Her Relationship With Oprah Winfrey
5/28/2026, 12:18:25 PM
King Addresses Rumors
In a June 2024 interview on Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast, CBS Mornings anchor Gayle King discussed speculation that she and Oprah Winfrey are romantically involved. King said the rumors “used to really bother me,” but she now chooses to ignore them unless the “noise gets too much.”
Background
King (71) and Winfrey (68) first met in 1976 at Baltimore’s WJZ-TV and have maintained a friendship of roughly five decades. King married attorney William Bumpus; the marriage ended after about a year, with sources citing 1983 or 1993 for the divorce. Winfrey has been partnered with businessman Stedman Graham since the 1980s. The National Enquirer linked King’s divorce to a “secretly gay” relationship with Winfrey, fueling the rumor mill.
Timeline
1976 – King and Winfrey meet at WJZ-TV; 2006 – Winfrey addresses rumors in O Magazine, opting to “leave it alone”; 2024 – King discusses the rumors on “Call Her Daddy.” Friendship ? 50 years; Winfrey–Graham partnership ? 40 years; rumor span = several decades; King’s marriage ? 1 year.
Impact & Criticism
King said the speculation made dating “hard enough for me to get a date on a Saturday night” when people assumed she was a lesbian. She linked social-media amplification to an “accelerator on hate,” highlighting concerns about how tabloids and online platforms shape public perception of female friendships.
Official Statements
King clarified she would publicly disclose a same-sex orientation if true, emphasizing “there’s nothing wrong with it” and reaffirming her preference for men. Winfrey’s earlier O Magazine comment that she “can understand why people think we’re gay” acknowledges the rumors, while she consistently advised “leaving it alone” rather than confronting the tabloid narrative.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources disagree on the year of King’s divorce—some cite 1983, others 1993—creating uncertainty about the National Enquirer timeline. Winfrey has not issued a new statement since the 2006 interview, leaving her current stance on the 2024 discussion undocumented.
Verbatim Quotes
- “So it used to really bother me.” — Gayle King, CBS Mornings
- “I've now gotten to the point in my life that very few things get to me because, you know, when you go on social media, it is an accelerator on hate.” — Gayle King, CBS Mornings
- “Something about this relationship feels otherworldly to me, like it was designed by a power and a hand greater than my own,” — Oprah Winfrey, media mogul
What’s Next
King indicated she will continue focusing on her work and personal life, choosing to ignore further speculation unless it becomes unavoidable. No additional public engagements on the topic have been announced, suggesting the friendship will proceed without further media confrontation.
