Gayle King said she was surprised by the public apology her ex-husband, William Bumpus, made after she discussed his infidelity during their marriage, but she also appreciated his words. Speaking to TMZ on Thursday, the CBS Mornings host said Bumpus, whom she was married to from 1982 to 1993, rarely speaks publicly, making his statement unexpected. King, 71, said the cheating caused a deeply painful period in her life, but she believes both of them have since healed and moved on.
King explained that she was able to speak candidly about the experience because so much time has passed and she is now in a good place emotionally, as is Bumpus. She also said they still keep in touch, although she did not know he planned to release a statement. What struck her most, she said, was the reaction from other women who related to her story. King said that response touched her more than anything else and reinforced her message that women can survive infidelity and come out stronger on the other side.
Her comments came after she appeared on Wednesday’s episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, where she revisited the moment she came home early from a work trip and caught Bumpus cheating with a friend. King said her first priority was protecting her children, daughter Kirby and son Will, from the fallout. She described calling Oprah Winfrey for advice and then reaching out to the other woman’s husband to tell him what was happening.
Bumpus responded with a public apology on Wednesday, saying he deeply regretted the pain he caused decades ago and apologizing to Gayle King, their daughter Kirby and her husband Virgil, their son William and his wife Elise, and their three grandchildren. It was not his first apology. After King first spoke publicly about the affair in 2016, Bumpus also apologized and said he had been haunted by his “life altering choice.” King said she forgave him once, but after he cheated again, the marriage ended for good. Now, she said she is focused on healing, helping other women feel less alone, and finding a future partner she jokingly called a knight in shining armor.
