{"id":242842,"date":"2026-05-28T13:08:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T13:08:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/28\/gayle-king-i-begged-oprah-to-quash-the-gay-rumors\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T13:08:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T13:08:40","slug":"gayle-king-i-begged-oprah-to-quash-the-gay-rumors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/28\/gayle-king-i-begged-oprah-to-quash-the-gay-rumors\/","title":{"rendered":"Gayle King: I BEGGED Oprah to Quash the Gay Rumors!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>She and Oprah Winfrey are not and have <em>never <\/em>been an item.<\/p>\n<p>Sorry, folks.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to revealing how she once <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2026\/05\/gayle-king-describes-catching-ex-husband-affair-close-friend\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">caught her now-ex and his mistress<\/a> (her former close friend), Gayle King also opened up about the longstanding gay rumors.<\/p>\n<p>When tabloids first began claiming that the two were <em>secret lovers<\/em>, Gayle begged her bestie to quash the claims. Oprah declined.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><noscript><\/noscript><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_02-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Gayle King on Call Her Daddy speaking\" class=\"wp-image-555895 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_02-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_02-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_02-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_02-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_02-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_02-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_02-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_02.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_02.png\" loading=\"lazy\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">During her \u2018Call Her Daddy\u2019 podcast interview, Gayle King delved into a variety of personal topics.<span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Image Credit: YouTube)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-if-we-were-gay-we-would-tell-you\">\u2018If we were gay, we would tell you\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>During the Wednesday, May 27 episode of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Fj9YNo_cUgU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Call Her Daddy<\/em> podcast<\/a>, Gayle told host Alex Cooper how the gay rumors used to get under her skin.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI tell you this, it used to really bother me,\u201d the iconic broadcast journalist admitted.<\/p>\n<p>It all started in 1993, when she \u2014 famously \u2014 caught her ex-husband, William Bumpus, cheating with a close friend. The two divorced.<\/p>\n<p>At the time, a tabloid ran a nonsensical story claiming that Gayle and longtime bestie Ooprah were \u201csecretly gay.\u201d And it got to her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNumber one, if we were gay, we would tell you because, believe me, there\u2019s nothing wrong with it,\u201d Gayle emphasized. \u201cIt\u2019s just I prefer a man. I prefer a man.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How Gayle King Really Feels About Those Oprah Secret Romance Rumors\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Jr-GQJWisls?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u201cAnd then I would say to her, \u2018You\u2019ve got to say something on your show because it\u2019s hard enough for me to get a date on a Saturday night, and now people think I\u2019m a lesbian,&#8217;\u201d Gayle recalled telling Oprah.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018You\u2019ve got to say something.\u2019 And she said, \u2018No, we should just leave it be,&#8217;\u201d she recalled. \u201c\u2018No, I\u2019m just going to leave it alone. Leave it alone.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Oprah was, for 25 years, one of the most watched and influential people on the planet. She still falls into the latter category.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, well, that\u2019s fine for you to say. You have somebody. I don\u2019t,\u201d Gayle remembered grumbling at the time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, it used to really bother me,\u201d she reiterated. \u201cAnd now even today there are still people that say, \u2018Well, you know, the truth is. \u2026&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_01-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Gayle King on Call Her Daddy\" class=\"wp-image-555894\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_01-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_01-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_01-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_01-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_01-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_01-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_01-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_01.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_01-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Gayle King on Call Her Daddy\" class=\"wp-image-555894 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_01-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_01-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_01-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_01-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_01-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_01-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_01-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_01.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527_use_gayleking_01.png\" loading=\"lazy\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Journalistic icon Gayle King joined the \u2018Call Her Daddy\u2019 podcast in May 2026.<span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Image Credit: YouTube)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-i-ve-now-gotten-to-the-point-in-my-life-that-very-few-things-get-to-me\">\u2018I\u2019ve now gotten to the point in my life that very few things get to me\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Time has taught Gayle to care less about what others imagine her life to be like.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t care,\u201d she bluntly admitted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve now gotten to the point in my life that very few things get to me,\u201d Gayle shared.<\/p>\n<p>She explained that this is \u201cbecause, you know, when you go on social media, it is an accelerator on hate.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Gayle expressed: \u201cAs long as I feel good about what I\u2019m doing \u2026 Otherwise, you\u2019ll drive yourself nuts. So now I really don\u2019t care.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Gayle King: He Cheated with My Close Friend\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Fj9YNo_cUgU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Oprah has been with Stedman Graham since 1986. She and Gayle met when both worked for WJZ-TV Baltimore.<\/p>\n<p>Some people respond to gay rumors \u2014 in person or from tabloids \u2014 with explicit homophobia. Notably, Gayle is decidedly not doing that.<\/p>\n<p>Incidentally, Gayle did not limit her commentary on relationships to clarifying that she likes men. She told Alex that she prefers younger men.<\/p>\n<p>Honestly? Good for her. And, for what it\u2019s worth, it\u2019s pretty reasonable to be annoyed at people speculating that you and your bestie are secret lovers.<\/p>\n<p>Gayle is a legendary broadcast journalist. She signed up to report the news. She never wanted to <em>be<\/em> the news.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2026\/05\/gayle-king-oprah-rumors-used-to-bother-her\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reading Time: 3 minutes She and Oprah Winfrey are not and have never been an item. Sorry, folks. In addition to revealing how she once caught her now-ex and his mistress (her former close friend), Gayle King also opened up about the longstanding gay rumors. When tabloids first began claiming that the two were secret [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":242844,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-242842","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-hollywood"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242842","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=242842"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242842\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/242844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=242842"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=242842"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=242842"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}