'He Never Talks': How Gayle King Reacted To Her Ex-Husband's Public Apology For His Affair

Despite her many years as a journalist, there's a lot you may not know about Gayle King, including the shock that led to her 1993 divorce. In a refreshingly candid interview with Alex Cooper on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast on May 27, 2026, the "CBS Mornings" co-anchor detailed the day in 1990 when she came home early from the airport to discover her then-husband and one of her good friends guiltily wearing nothing but bath towels. Busted! As if that weren't humiliating enough, the house security alarm went off, and the police came over to investigate.

Far from being defensive, King's ex-husband, William Bumpus, offered a remarkably civil response in the form of a statement to TMZ and other outlets. After admitting his transgression and offering his "deepest apologies" to King, their children, and their families, Bumpus added in part, "Gayle has every right to share what was a painful chapter that changed the trajectory of our marriage and our family nearly forty years ago. I respect her right to tell her story, and that's where I'll leave it." Bumpus went on to praise King, saying, "I am proud to have had a front-row seat to Gayle's remarkable success, and I remain a genuine admirer and fan."

The outlet hurried to get a reaction from King, catching her on her way to a waiting car. "I was surprised that you guys got him," she said (via TMZ). "(A) that you found him — that's number one — and (b) that he was talking, because he never talks. So I was surprised, but I can also say I appreciated what he had to say."

A cheating husband may be fun to watch on a TV drama, but when it happens in real life, it's a devastating betrayal. Gayle King got through her messy divorce with the help of Oprah Winfrey, her dear friend of five decades. King immediately called Winfrey after discovering the affair, and the legendary media star convinced her to call the other woman's husband. "He said to me, 'You are delusional and out of touch with reality, and I suggest you get some help,'" King told Alex Cooper on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast. "I said, 'Okay, you think I should get some help? Does your wife have a pink satin pajama top? Does she have some mint green panties that go with that?'"

According to King, she and her ex, William Bumpus, tried to reconcile after their initial divorce, but the loss of trust proved too great, and they split again. Throughout, they prioritized being co-parents to their now-adult children, daughter Kirby Bumpus and son William Bumpus Jr. Bumpus went on to have another child, and in his aforementioned apology statement, he said, "Gayle and I remain in a good place. She recently sent warm wishes to Poet, my teenage daughter, on her 16th birthday, which meant a great deal to us both."

The Oprah Daily editor was grateful for her ex's olive branch. "I appreciate it, because, listen, that was a very painful time," King told TMZ. "Anybody that's been through it knows how painful it is, but I also know that you can go through and get through it on the other side. ... The reason why I can talk about it so candidly, to be honest with you, is because it has been so much time that has passed."