Gayle King & Oprah Clashed Over Rumors They Were Lesbians

When speculation about their sexuality first began swirling publicly, Gayle King admits she desperately wanted Oprah to shut down the rumors surrounding their decades-long relationship once and for all, but her mega-mogul bestie refused.

The TV personality and broadcast journalist sat down for a conversation with Alex Cooper on Wednesday’s episode of her podcast, Call Her Daddy. During the episode, King admitted that speculation about the nature of her relationship with Winfrey “used to really bother” her. Unfortunately for her, Oprah didn’t have the same concerns, choosing not to address them.

“I would say to her, ‘You’ve got to say something on your show, because it’s hard enough for me to get a date on a Saturday night and now people think I’m a lesbian, you’ve gotta say something,’” Gayle recalled.

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Instead, however, Winfrey demanded they “leave” the speculation alone and chose to let the rumors swirl.

“I said, ‘Well, that’s fine for you to say. You have somebody. I don’t,’” King recalled telling her longtime best friend, who has been in a relationship with Stedman Graham since 1986.

All these years later, people still accuse Gayle and Oprah of being a couple, but it no longer bothers her.

“I’ve now gotten to the point in my life that very few things get to me,” she said.

Still, King went on to reiterate that there isn’t any truth to the rumors, insisting she would have no problem revealing she was a lesbian, if that was the case.

“When you go on social media, it is an accelerator on hate,” King continued. “As long as I feel good about what I’m doing, the people I respect and trust are okay with it. Otherwise you’ll drive yourself nuts. So now I really don’t care.”

King and Winfrey’s friendship has lasted for more than 5 decades, starting 50 years ago when they both worked at the Baltimore-area news station WJZ-TV. While both women have been successful, Oprah is a billionaire–but King says that’s never made her feel inferior.

“I never see myself in her shadow. I always say I see myself in her light,” King explained. “And I do mean that. I never thought, ‘God, I wish I could be her.’”

After so many years of close friendship, Gayle clarified that nothing could ever come between the two of them.

“Once you’ve been in the inner circle of anyone’s life, it’s a really privileged place to be,” she said. “And I hold that very sacred. I know I can trust her with anything. And she, me.”

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