Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King address long-standing lesbian rumours on podcast

Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King addressed persistent rumours about their relationship during an appearance on Melinda French Gates’ podcast “Moments That Make Us” on Wednesday. Winfrey, 70, and King, 69, emphasised that their bond is purely platonic despite speculation to the contrary. “You know, for years, people used to say we were gay, and listen, we were up against that forever,” Winfrey stated. “And people still may think it.”

King revealed that she once urged Winfrey to address the rumours on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to clarify that she was single. “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,’” King shared. “Because if we were gay, we’d tell you!”

Winfrey suggested that the rumours gained traction because people are unaccustomed to seeing women with such a strong, non-romantic bond. She described their relationship as a “truth bond,” saying, “The reason why I think our friendship has worked is because Gayle is happier for me for any kind of success or victory or challenge I get through than I am for myself.”

Reflecting on their nearly 50-year friendship, Winfrey added, “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.” Winfrey also noted that while she has experienced female friendships marked by jealousy or competition, her bond with King is different.

King acknowledged that her life and career would have been significantly different without Winfrey’s support. “I wouldn’t be at CBS. I wouldn’t have been at the Met Gala… there’s just so many things I wouldn’t have done [without Winfrey],” she said. King also mentioned that her 1993 divorce played a significant role in shaping her career.

Winfrey, who has been with partner Stedman Graham for over 35 years, said King filled a major void in her life. “Had we not been friends… Gayle is the mother, sister [and] friend that I never had,” she explained.

This is not the first time the pair have addressed the rumours. In a 2006 issue of Winfrey’s magazine, O, Winfrey said, “I understand why people think we’re gay. There isn’t a definition in our culture for this kind of bond between women.”