Gayle King He rose to fame as a co-anchor on CBS Morning She was married to a previous husband, William Bumpus. For 11 years, between the 1980s and 1990s – they have two children together from the union. Although Gayle typically keeps her personal life private, she spoke openly about William and the demise of their relationship in a May 2026 interview titled “Call Her Daddy.”
For those who don’t know about Gayle’s ex-husband cheating, the news anchor found out that he cheated on her with one of her friends. Gayle recounted the moment she discovered the affair and recalled coming home early to discover William wearing a towel and her unnamed friend trying to hide from her.
Here’s what to know about Gayle’s marriage to William.
They married in 1982
Attorney Gayle and William married in 1982. Interestingly, Oprah once shared why she didn’t think the marriage would last in the end. “I didn’t feel joy,” the TV mogul said in a 2006 interview. Hey, Opera Magazine. “Do you know how to go to weddings full of joy? There are some weddings that you go to and you’re filled with all this hope for the couple. And you feel like something special is happening. I didn’t feel that way in your presence. I felt a kind of pity.
Oprah didn’t want to tell her how I felt about it at the time. In the joint interview, Gayle told her she “wouldn’t have believed her” anyway.
Gayle and William have welcomed two children
During the course of their marriage, Gayle and William welcomed children into their family – their daughter kirby, Born in May 1986, he has a son William Bumpus Jrborn April 1987. Both are now grown, and Kirby made the former couple grandparents when she welcomed her son, Luca With her husband Virgil Miller In September 2021.
Gayle and William dealt with infidelity
In August 2016, Gayle opened up during a… Vanity gallery An interview about the alleged infidelity that eroded the marriage. When asked to name the person she “despised” the most, she replied: “‘Despise’ is a strong word. I’m not the biggest fan of the woman I caught naked with my ex-husband on June 24, 1990, at 9:16 p.m. – but I don’t remember the details.”
In 2006, she again shared her thoughts about the alleged incident, this time with… Will Smith During an appearance on her XM Satellite radio show. “I was married to a cheater,” she reportedly said at the time. “I went to marriage counseling. I’ve been divorced since 1993, so I’m completely healed and everything. I’ve worked it out. I’m not bitter. I’m fine. I’m really fine.”
For his part, William apologized. In 2016, in its wake VF Comments, issued a statement addressing the issue. “I was haunted by this life-changing choice,” the statement read Entertainment tonight He reads. “Although I have dealt with this privately, I publicly apologize for the major breach that has dramatically changed all of our lives. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Gayle and how kindly she has handled herself. Despite the situation, I have kept our children, as well as my relationship and involvement with them, as a clear priority.”
He also went on to praise his ex-wife. “Gayle was a great wife, an excellent mother and a wonderful parent,” the statement continued. “I am forever grateful for all you have done and continue to do to enrich my life and the lives of our amazing adult children. You are still a work in progress and have spent the past 26 years striving to be a better man and father. I applaud Gayle’s continued tremendous success and friendship!”
Gayle and William divorced in 1993.
