Gayle King reveals how Oprah Winfrey refused to shut down rumors they were 'secretly gay'

Gayle King has opened up for the first time about how Oprah refused to shut down rumors that they were a 'secretly gay' couple on her show.

When it comes to ways in which one can dispel a rumor, saying it on The Oprah Winfrey Show to 15 million people is about as good as it gets.

But when King asked her good friend Winfrey to do just that, after rumors spiralled that the two were a lesbian couple, Winfrey simply refused.

Speaking with Alex Cooper on the Call Her Daddy podcast, the broadcaster was asked about how she 'handled' the rumor, which she admitted used to 'really bother' her.

"I was recently divorced and the National Enquirer did a story about [how] that’s the reason for the divorce, because they’re secretly gay," she said.

Gayle King has opened up about the rumor. (Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

King, 71, added: "Number one, if we were gay, we would tell you, because believe me, there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s just, I prefer a man. I prefer a man."

The TV personality recalled the time she went as far as to ask Winfrey to quash the rumor on her weekday show, which ended in 2011 after the star noticed that television consumption was shifting.

The mom-of-two told the star that she 'had to say something', as she added: "It’s hard enough for me to get a date on a Saturday night and now people think I’m a lesbian."

But Winfrey's response took her by surprise, as she allegedly said: "Just leave it be."

And while she admitted that her handling of the situation was not ideal, it's an experience she learnt a great deal from.

Winfrey refused to comment on her hit show. (Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

King said: "I’ve now gotten to the point in my life that very few things get to me. Because, you know, when you go on social media, it is an accelerator on hate."

But Winfrey herself addressed the rumor in 2024 during an episode of Moments That Make Us.

"Maybe people aren’t accustomed to seeing women with this kind of truth bond," she suggested.

"The reason why I think our friendship has worked is because Gayle is happier, not happy, for me in any kind of success or victory or challenge I get through than I am for myself.

"And I feel as happy as she does - I can’t be happier than, cannot surpass Gayle."