Gayle King is opening up about the persistent speculation regarding her relationship with Oprah Winfrey, admitting that long-standing rumors of a secret romance once took a significant toll on her personal life.
During a recent appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast with host Alex Cooper, the “CBS Mornings” anchor revealed that the public’s insistence that she and Winfrey were more than friends “used to really bother” her. Kingexplained that while the media mogul could easily ignore the gossip, the narrative was more complicated for her to navigate as a single woman.
According to King, the frustration stemmed from how the rumors might affect her own dating prospects. She recalled a time when she urged the legendary talk show host to use her massive platform to set the record straight once and for all. “I would say to Oprah, ‘You’ve got to say something on your show,’” King said. Winfrey, however, was less inclined to engage with the tabloids, reportedly telling her friend, “No, just leave it alone.”
King joked that Winfrey’s indifference was likely due to her stable domestic life with longtime partner Stedman Graham. “You have somebody, I don’t,” King recalled telling Winfrey, noting that it is much harder to find a partner when the world believes you are already in a committed relationship with one of the most famous women on earth.
The two media icons have shared a bond spanning nearly 50 years, first meeting at a Baltimore television station in the 1970s. Over the decades, they have both repeatedly denied any romantic involvement. Winfrey has previously addressed the curiosity surrounding their closeness, suggesting that society often struggles to categorize deep, platonic female friendships.
Both women have maintained that if they were in a same-sex relationship, they would be transparent about it. Despite the decades of chatter, they have remained inseparable, with King noting that while the rumors were once a source of annoyance, their friendship has remained the most consistent part of her life.
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