Gayle King Recalls Catching Ex-Husband Having Affair, Says Oprah Urged Her to Expose It

Gayle King shared details about discovering her ex-husband’s affair during an appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast with Alex Cooper.

King, 71, said the incident happened in 1990 when she came home unexpectedly and found her then-husband, William Bumpus, with another woman in their bedroom while their young children were in the house with a nanny. She said the first person she called was her close friend Oprah Winfrey.

King recalled confronting the woman, who was wearing her bath towel, and later calling the woman’s husband after Winfrey encouraged her to do so. According to King, the couple initially tried to convince her she had misunderstood the situation, but she responded by describing evidence she had found in the bedroom.

King and Bumpus were married from 1982 to 1993 and briefly tried to reconcile after the affair. She said she later realized he continued cheating and decided she no longer wanted to live with distrust and suspicion.

Bumpus publicly apologized in 2016, calling his actions a “life altering choice” and praising King as a mother and co-parent.

King said the two are now cordial and still see each other at family events involving their children and grandchildren.