Gayle King has once again spoken out about longstanding rumors that she is dating Oprah Winfrey, explaining why the iconic host refused to publicly quash them on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
CBS Mornings co-host Alex Cooper spoke on the viral podcast Call Her Daddy and was asked how he was “dealing” with rumors that he and Winfrey were secretly dating. “It used to bother me a lot. They recently got divorced, and the National Enquirer did an article about how they got divorced because they’re secretly gay.”
she continued. “First of all, if we were gay, we would say that. Because, believe me, there’s nothing wrong with that. I just like men more. I like men more.”
Ms. King remembers urging Ms. Winfrey to say something on her talk show. “It’s so hard to get a date on a Saturday night and now people think I’m a lesbian, so I have to say something.” Winfrey’s answer was, “Leave it alone.”
Winfrey’s handling of the situation used to bother King, but she says it doesn’t bother her anymore. “There are very few things in my life that bother me anymore, because when you use social media, it just fuels the hatred.”
Winfrey previously addressed the rumors on a 2024 episode of “The Moments That Shall Make Us,” saying, “Maybe people aren’t used to seeing women with this kind of genuine bond. The reason I think our friendship is working is, for me, No matter what successes or victories or challenges I have, I’m not happier with Gail than I am with myself. And I can’t be any happier than Gail.
During King’s “Call Daddy” conversation, which lasted more than an hour, King also spoke about her divorce from attorney William Bumpass in 1993 and how she overcame sexism and racism in the industry.
Watch the full interview with Mr. King and Mr. Cooper below.
