Gayle King said Oprah Winfrey refused to publicly shut down rumours that the longtime friends were secretly dating after tabloids claimed they were.
King spoke about the rumours during Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast, according to the source material.
The CBS Mornings co-host said the claims bothered her after her 1993 divorce from attorney William Bumpus.
King said she asked Winfrey to address the rumour on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Winfrey told her to “just leave it be.”
Gayle King admitted that speculation around her relationship with best friend Oprah Winfrey used to get under her skin. Now, she’s “gotten to the point in my life that very few things get to me.” pic.twitter.com/eE0jglZzan
— E! News (@enews) May 27, 2026“If we were gay, we would tell you,” King said, adding that “there’s nothing wrong with it.”
Winfrey addressed the friendship in 2024 on “Moments That Make Us.” She said people may not understand a close bond between women.
Read: Coldplay Kiss Cam Woman Tells Oprah Daughter Warned Her About Husband
King said social media now spreads hate faster, but few things bother her today.
