The television journalist was married to lawyer William Bumpass from 1982 to 1993.
Gayle King sings “All I Want for Christmas” to Mariah Carey
Gayle King talks about the surreal moment she sang alongside Jennifer Hudson in front of Mariah Carey at the Musicaires Gala.
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Gayle King never makes the same mistake twice, especially when it comes to love.
The broadcast journalist and “CBS Morning” host opened up about the breakup of her first marriage in an interview on her podcast “Call Her Daddy” on Wednesday, May 27.
King, 71, was married to attorney William Bumpass from 1982 to 1993, her only marriage to date. The former couple have two children, daughter Kirby and son William Bumpass Jr.
Bumpass is said to have been having an affair with a friend of King’s, which was discovered when she returned home early from a trip. King said Bumpass caught him off guard when he returned and told him he couldn’t go into the bedroom. Moments later, the newscaster said she found her friend with a towel over her head.
King added that she had a nanny focus on the children while she dealt with the situation.
“I was like, ‘My kids are here. I don’t want anyone to know.’ That was my main thought,” King told host Alex Cooper. “And that wouldn’t happen to me today. I’d be like, ‘Get this person and take her away.'” But you know, I kept thinking, “They’re small, so I don’t want that scene to be.” They know this person. ”
Ms King was said to have planned to inform her friend’s husband of the affair, but Ms Bumpass was said to have dissuaded her because the couple had a “good marriage”.
“The hem of the girl’s pajamas is on my bed. … Where does he think she is (now)?” King recalled being told by Bumpass that her friend’s husband believed she was “absent at a meeting.”
Afterwards, King said her then-husband offered to drop a friend off at the station. “I’m thinking, ‘God, I don’t want to ruin everyone’s life,'” she continued.
King and Bumpass divorced following the incident, but although they later briefly reconciled, the news personality said she realized “he hasn’t really changed.”
Gayle King talks about how her best friend Oprah supported her amid allegations of her husband’s affair
King said his longtime friend and fellow TV host Oprah Winfrey was a source of support for him as he worked through the emotional aftermath of Bumpass’s alleged affair.
“I didn’t tell my mom. … I was very close to her,” King said on “Call Her Daddy.” “I didn’t want anyone to know. I had three sisters. I didn’t tell them. The only one I told was Oprah.”
Hours after King allegedly discovered Bumpass’ infidelity, the “CBS Morning” host said Winfrey encouraged her to call her friend’s husband and tell him about the affair.
“I called him and you know what he said? He said, ‘She said you would call,'” King said. “She said you came home earlier than expected and drew the wrong conclusion. And she told me that you would call and say you think they are cheating.”
King added that her friend’s husband told her that she was “delusional and out of touch with reality” for claiming she was having an affair with Bumpass. King said she became frustrated with the man’s response and hung up.
King said Winfrey then offered to send her and her children plane tickets to move to Chicago, where Winfrey filmed her talk show, “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
“‘You don’t realize how bad this is,'” King recalled Winfrey telling her. “‘Gail, your head is blown off. You need to get on a plane and get here.'”
Gayle King talks about her love life
King is ready for romance, but he’s in no hurry to put on a ring.
“I used to want to get married again, but now I don’t even think about it,” he said on “Call Her Daddy,” adding, “I have a great life. There’s no ‘Don’t cry for me, Argentina.'” …But I think it’s good to meet someone you enjoy being with. ”
Who is King’s dream man?
“Alex, I like big in every way: big hands, big chest, big muscles, big feet,” King told Cooper. “But I don’t care if he has a stomach, because I have one. … I want someone who can pick me up and carry me across the room.”
The TV journalist added that she is open to dating someone younger than herself.
“I just saw Tom Brady. I had to stop myself from saying, ‘You look so good,'” King joked. “I mean, I think guys my age wear hats. They tend to get a little bored. I can’t generalize, but that’s my experience so far.”
