Oprah Winfrey knows how to throw a party, and her best friend Gayle King got the shock of a lifetime when the media mogul pulled off an unforgettable surprise for her birthday.
On Saturday, December 14, Oprah, 70, shared a heartwarming video on Instagram capturing the moment Gayle walked into the venue, only to be greeted by thunderous cheers from friends and family.
In the clip, Gayle’s reaction says it all. The CBS Mornings co-host jumped back, visibly stunned by the room full of loved ones singing “Happy Birthday” in her honor. Gayle staggers backward in shock, tosses her purse on a nearby table, and puts her hands on her chest.
“My bestie of 50 years is turning 70, so we gathered everyone that loved her to celebrate,” Oprah captioned the post. “Hard thing to surprise her, O the stories we have made up, the lies we have told to keep this a secret. Happy birthday, @gayleking. Sorry, we almost gave you a heart attack.”
The celebrations took place at Ci Siamo, one of Manhattan’s trendiest spots known for its warm ambiance and upscale Italian cuisine. Oprah, always bringing her signature glow, stunned in a dazzling gold dress paired with a chic long white coat. Gayle, on the other hand, kept it elegant in a black and teal ensemble, perfectly tied together with a matching scarf that screamed understated sophistication but matched perfectly to the disco-themed event, which featured gold mirror ball walls and accents and plenty of dancing, as seen in the photos shared by CBS Mornings producer Gisela Margarita Pérez.
Gayle later explained how the stunt was pulled off. “Talk about a surprise !!!” she wrote on her Instagram page. “I thought I was going to @oprah’s holiday dinner for the @oprahdaily team at her favorite restaurant @cisiamonyc, and then THIS happened ….”
Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King, whose bond spans over 40 years, first met in the late 1970s while working at a Baltimore television station. Since then, their connection has grown into one of the most admired and enduring friendships in Hollywood.
