The CBS Mornings host admitted, “If she had a second career, it would be — honest to God, she’s one of the best therapists ever.”
Editor's note: This article was originally published on December 5, 2022. It has since been updated.
Gayle King and Oprah Winfrey have been the closest of friends for the longest time. While Oprah Winfrey may be a billionaire media mogul, her BFF believes that she could have been an incredible therapist. The 68-year-old CBS Mornings host opened up about how Winfrey was a huge source of support during her divorce on iHeartPodcast's Now What? With Brooke Shields. King was married to William Bumpus when she caught him in bed with another woman in 1990. Three years later, they filed for divorce. The former couple who tied the knot in 1982 share two children, Kirby Bumpus, and William Bumpus Jr, reports HuffPost.
"I was married to someone who found monogamy very challenging — which is difficult in a marriage," King told host Brooke Shields. "I think if I didn't have children, I would've never spoken to him again." Speaking of Oprah's role in her life King said, "Oprah — who has never been married and never had children — she is one of the best therapists ever," she continued. "If she had a second career, It would be [a therapist]. When I first caught [my ex] I didn't tell anyone but Oprah and my mother. I knew I could trust them."
King confessed she always had doubts in her mind before marrying Bumpus. "I remember when I first got married — I can remember looking in the mirror and my mom was helping me get dressed for my wedding," she recalled. "I remember saying, 'Mom, How do I know that this is 'til death do us part'? How do I know for sure this is right?' And she said, 'Oh, you're just having cold feet! Everybody feels that way!'" King continued, "I would never tell my daughter that. I don't think you're supposed to have cold feet on the day you get married. I think you should at least at that moment feel, 'I am ready, he or she is the person of my dreams.' I don't think girls should be told, 'It's cold feet, everybody has the jitters.'"
Oprah, 69, was there for King during one of the most difficult periods of her life. For Oprah too, her friendship with King is something she holds dear to her heart even to this day. Back in 2010, she opened up about their tight bond across decades in an interview with Barbara Walters, according to ABC News. “She is... the mother I never had. She is... the sister everybody would want,” she said. “She is the friend that everybody deserves. I don’t know a better person. I don’t know a better person.” The interview was incredibly emotional for Oprah who continued, "It's making me cry because I'm thinking about ... how much ... I probably have never told her that. Tissue please. I now need a tissue. I've never told her that," she shared.
References:
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-now-what-with-brooke-shie-102101467/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Tom Cooper
