Gayle King recalls shocking moment she discovered ex-husband's affair

Edward Segarra, USA TODAY Wed, May 27, 2026 at 5:52 PM UTC

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Gayle King doesn't make the same mistake twice, especially when it comes to love.

The broadcast journalist and "CBS Mornings" host opened up about the breakdown of her first marriage in an interview on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast Wednesday, May 27.

King, 71, was married to attorney William Bumpus from 1982 to 1993 – her only marriage to date. The former couple shares two children, daughter Kirby and son William Bumpus Jr.

Bumpus allegedly had an extramarital affair with King's friend, which she said she discovered when she returned home from a trip early. King said Bumpus was caught off guard upon her return and allegedly told her she could not enter their bedroom. Moments later, the news anchor said she found her friend wearing her towel.

Gayle King attends the 2026 Time100 Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City on April 23, 2026.

King added that she had their nanny preoccupy the children while she dealt with the situation.

"I was thinking, 'The kids are here. I don't want anybody to know.' That was my main thought," King told host Alex Cooper. "And that would not happen to me today. It would be like, 'Get this [person] and take her [away].' But you know, I kept thinking, 'I don't want it to be a scene because they're little. They know this person.'"

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King said she planned to notify her friend's husband of the infidelity, but was allegedly discouraged by Bumpus because the couple had "a good marriage."

"The girl's pajama bottoms are in my bed. ... Where does he think she is [right now]?" King recalled telling Bumpus, who purportedly said her friend's husband was under the impression she was "away at a conference."

Afterward, King said her then-husband offered to drop off her friend at the train station. "I'm thinking, 'Well God, I don't want to mess up everybody's life,'" she continued.

Following the alleged incident, King and Bumpus divorced and later briefly reconciled, but the news personality said she realized "he hadn't really changed."

Gayle King on how close friend Oprah supported her amid husband's alleged affair

King said her longtime friend, fellow TV host Oprah Winfrey, was her rock as she navigated the emotional aftermath of Bumpus' alleged affair.

"I didn't tell my mom. ... I was very close to my mom," King said on "Call Her Daddy." "I didn't want anybody to know. I got three sisters. Didn't tell them. The only person I told was Oprah."

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A few hours after King allegedly discovered Bumpus' infidelity, the "CBS Mornings" host said Winfrey encouraged her to call her friend's husband and inform him of the affair.

"I call him, and you know what he said? He said, 'She told me you would be calling,'" King said. "'She said that you came home early, unexpected, and you drew the wrong conclusion. And she told me you would call and say that you thought they were having an affair.'"

Gayle King, right, and Oprah Winfrey attend the Chloé womenswear fall/winter 2026-2027 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on March 5, 2026.

King added that her friend's husband allegedly told her that she was "delusional and out of touch with reality" for claiming she was having an affair with Bumpus. King said she later hung up the call after becoming frustrated with the man's response.

King said Winfrey later offered to send her flight tickets for her and her children to relocate to Chicago, where Winfrey filmed her talk show "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

"'You don't even realize how bad this is,'" King recalled Winfrey telling her. "'Gayle, your head has been blown off. You need to get on a plane, and you need to come here.'"

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Gayle King dishes on love life aspirations

King is ready for love, but she isn't in a hurry to put a ring on it.

"I used to think I want to get married again. Now, I'm not even thinking that," King said on "Call Her Daddy," adding, "I have a great life. There's no, 'Don't Cry for Me, Argentina.' ... But I do think it would be nice to meet somebody that thinks you're fun to hang out with."

As for King's dream man?

"I like big, Alex, in every way − big hands, big chest, big muscles, big feet," King told Cooper. "But I don't mind if he has a tummy, 'cause I have a tummy. ... I want somebody who can pick me up and carry me across the room."

The TV journalist added that she would be open to dating someone younger than her.

"I just saw Tom Brady. I had to stop myself from going, 'You are so good-looking,'" King joked. "'Cause I'm thinking guys my age, they wear hats. They tend to be a little boring. You can't generalize, but that has been my experience so far."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gayle King details ex-husband William Bumpus affair with friend

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