Gayle King's ex-husband, William Bumpus, has responded after the veteran journalist revealed on a podcast that she caught him cheating on her with one of her best friends. Bumpus issued a lengthy apology to TMZ on Thursday, taking full responsibility for his actions.
"My deepest apologies to Gayle, to our daughter Kirby and her husband, Virgil, to our son William and his wife, Elise, and to our three grandchildren, for the pain I caused decades ago. Those actions were mine," Bumpus said in his statement. He noted that he has "long owned" his actions, including a public apology in 2016.
Bumpus, 70, acknowledged that King has every right to share her story. "I respect her right to tell her story, and that's where I'll leave it," he added.
King's Revelation on Call Her Daddy
The CBS Mornings host appeared on Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy podcast on Wednesday, sharing intimate details about her life, career, and longtime friendship with Oprah Winfrey. King, 71, recounted catching Bumpus in the act with her supposed friend in 1990.
King described returning home after a flight cancellation, only to find Bumpus trying to prevent her from entering. She searched the house and discovered her friend in her bedroom wearing her bath towel. King said she tried to stay calm to protect her young children from trauma.
"I was thinking, 'The kids are here, I don't want anybody to know,'" she recalled. "That would not happen to me today."
The couple married in 1982 and divorced in 1993. King said they attempted to reconcile, but she realized Bumpus was still cheating. She described checking the car hood for warmth and going through his phone, ultimately deciding she didn't want to live that way.
Bumpus's Previous Apology
Bumpus had previously apologized a decade ago, telling Page Six he remained "haunted with this life-altering choice." He said at the time, "Though I have dealt with this privately, I publicly apologize for the major transgression that dramatically changed all of our lives."
In his latest statement, Bumpus emphasized that he and King are in a "good place" post-divorce and expressed gratitude for their children. "She gave me two of the greatest gifts of my life — our daughter Kirby and our son William," he said.
He credited King for supporting him through Yale Law School and for their successful co-parenting. "The love and camaraderie we forged in that work have carried us all these years," Bumpus added. He also acknowledged wrestling with the desire for privacy but recognized that King's story is hers to tell.
"I am proud to have had a front-row seat to Gayle's remarkable success, and I remain a genuine admirer and fan," he concluded.
