Oprah and Gayle set the record straight on their longstanding relationship, friendship, and sexual orientation.
The duo, who have been inseparable for decades, have often been the subject of speculation about the depth of their bond. Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King have been friends for decades, having met while working at a news station based in Baltimore, Maryland.
Winfrey and King’s friendship began 50 years ago when both women worked at WJZ-TV. During a major snowstorm, Winfrey invited King to stay at her house for the night, and the two became close overnight.
While Oprah grew up disadvantaged, frequently moving between her parents’ homes in Nashville and Milwaukee, Gayle spent some of her childhood in Turkey, where she had a housekeeper and a swimming pool. Despite their vastly different upbringings, the women met and have never looked back.
Winfrey, 70, and King, 69, discussed their decades-long friendship in an interview with Melinda French Gates for her new YouTube series, Moments That Make Us, released on Wednesday, July 24.
While speaking with Gates, Winfrey stated that she believes the rumors are spreading because people “aren’t used to seeing women with this kind of truth bond.”
“You know, for years, people used to say we were gay, and listen, we were up against that forever. And people still may think it,” Winfrey said.
Gayle added, “I used to say, Oprah, ‘You gotta do a show on this because it’s hard enough for me to get a date on Saturday night with people thinking we’re gay.’ Because if we were gay, we’d tell you!”
Knowing why some interpret their relationship as more than platonic, Winfrey disclosed, “I think we’ve shared pretty much everything, and I would have to say it wasn’t even a matter of navigation.”
She later noted, “The reason why I think our friendship has worked is because Gayle is happier, not happy, but happier for me for 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. You cannot out-happy her. I am equally as happy for her.”
As the interview ended, the two friends reaffirmed their commitment to their lifelong friendship, leaving no doubt about how strong their bond is.
