Oprah Winfrey Offers Rare Statement on Gayle King Affair Rumors

As someone who's spent decades in the public eye, Oprah Winfrey has been at the center of countless rumors. One of the most highly scrutinized aspects of Winfrey's life continues to be her close friendship with Gayle King, with fans perpetually wondering about the nature of their tight bond—but the stars are finally setting the record straight.

While appearing on Melinda French Gates’ Moments That Make Us interview series, 70-year-old Winfrey and 69-year-old King addressed the long-standing speculation.

“For years, people used to say we were gay, and listen, we were up against that forever,” said Winfrey, who has been in a relationship with partner Stedman Graham for over 35 years. “And people still may think it.”

According to Winfrey, that's because people “aren't used to seeing women with this kind of truth bond.”

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“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,” Winfrey said. “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.”

“If we were gay, we'd tell you!” said King, who shares two children with ex-husband William Bumpus.

“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,’” she added.

King also shared that she's one of the few people who's honest with Oprah, as most people tend to be "flattering" and "agreeable" in their dealings with the mogul.

“And sometimes I’ll just go, ‘That’s just not true. Your hair does not look good,’” said King, noting that Oprah does the same for her.

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