Gayle King was shocked when her ex-husband William Bumpass publicly apologized for cheating on her during their 11-year marriage.
The journalist told TMZ on Thursday that Bumpass, whom she was married to from 1982 to 1993, “didn’t speak at all, so I was surprised they were even having a conversation.”
“So I was surprised, but you could also say I was grateful for what he said,” she continued.
King, 71, added that Bumpass’ infidelity led to “a very difficult time.”
“Anyone who’s been through it knows how painful it is, but I also know that you can go through it and get through it on the other side,” Dr. King said.
She explained that it had been several years since the affair and both she and her ex-husband had “healed” and “moved on.”
“And to be honest, the reason I’m able to be so open about this is because it’s been a long time and I’m in a really great position, and so is he,” she said.
Mr. King admitted that although the two have been in touch, he did not know Mr. King would issue a statement.
Most of all, the “CBS Mornings” host said she’s been surprised by the “reaction” she’s gotten from other women.
“That’s what moved me more than anything,” she confessed, noting that she hadn’t planned to talk about it when she first sat down to do Wednesday’s episode of her podcast, “Call Her Daddy.”
King teased that host Alex Cooper got her to open up by dressing her in “casual, comfortable clothes” and sitting in a “salmon-colored chair.”
All jokes aside, Caster wants other women to know that “this is a big club and no one wants to be in it, but the great thing is that you can get through it and come out on the other side. It’s really okay.”
Now the King says he’s looking for a knight in shining armor.
“Where is he? That’s the question,” she joked.
On Wednesday, Bumpass told Page Six, “I sincerely apologize to Gail, my daughter Kirby and her husband Virgil, my son William and his wife Elise, and my three grandchildren for the pain I caused decades ago. Those actions are mine.”
Earlier in the day, Ms. King described how she “came home” and “found” Bumpass cheating on her with her best friend.
The CBS star’s main goal was to protect her children, daughter Kirby, now 40, and son Will, now 39.
After calling her longtime best friend, Oprah Winfrey, King decided to call the woman’s husband and tell him about his wife’s extracurricular activities.
King forgave Bumpass, but when he cheated on her a second time, the two broke up for good.
However, this was not the first time the author spoke out about this incident.
King first exposed Bumpass’s indiscretions in 2016, which led to her ex-boyfriend’s first public apology.
At the time, a representative for his law partner told Page Six, “I have been struggling with this life-changing choice,” adding, “Gail was a wonderful wife, an excellent mother, and a wonderful co-parent.”
