William Bumpus, the former husband of CBS journalist Gayle King, has reiterated his apology after King shared intimate details of his infidelity in a recent interview. In a statement to the New York Post's Page Six, TMZ, and other outlets, Bumpus apologized to King and their two adult children, Kirby Bumpus and William Bumpus Jr., along with their families, for “the pain I caused decades ago.”
“Gayle has every right to share what was a painful chapter that changed the trajectory of our marriage and our family nearly 40 years ago,” Bumpus explained. “I respect her right to tell her story, and that’s where I’ll leave it.”
Bumpus expressed “endless gratitude” to King for encouraging him to pursue his legal career and for being a successful co-parent to their children. Nearly 33 years after their divorce, he said they “remain in a good place” and thanked her for her “friendship, encouragement, and support.”
“As a private person by nature, I will admit that during our marriage I did not fully appreciate Gayle’s public life — I wanted ours to be more private, and that was something I wrestled with, and no reflection on her true talent and abilities,” he continued. “I am proud to have had a front-row seat to Gayle’s remarkable success, and I remain a genuine admirer and fan.”
Bumpus, a lawyer who served as Connecticut’s assistant attorney general, and King were married from 1982 to 1993.
Appearing on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast this week, King recalled catching Bumpus with another woman “buck naked” at their Connecticut home in 1990. The woman was a close friend and also married. King had returned from a trip to Washington, D.C., earlier than expected and found that Bumpus had set the house alarm despite being home. “Next thing I know, he comes flying out of the room, and he’s got a towel on, and he goes, ‘You can’t come in!’ ... I was so oblivious,” she said. She soon discovered her friend “cowering behind the door, in my towel.”
“I said, ‘I can’t believe that you are here and that you are doing this. I can’t believe that you are doing this,’” King added. “I even said, ‘I thought we were friends.’ I sounded so pitiful.”
King had previously alluded to the affair, including in a 2016 Vanity Fair interview, but her “Call Her Daddy” chat marked the first time she was so candid. After the Vanity Fair piece, Bumpus issued a statement to Page Six taking accountability for “the major transgression that dramatically changed all of our lives.”
“I have nothing but the utmost respect for Gayle and how she handled herself with grace,” he said at the time. “Despite the situation, she kept our children, as well as my relationship and involvement with them, as a clear priority.”
In a brief interview with TMZ published Thursday, King expressed surprise that the outlet had contacted Bumpus, given he is not a public figure, but said she “appreciated what he had to say.”
“This happened so long ago that we are both healed, we are both moved on,” she explained. “And the reason why I can talk about it so candidly, to be honest with you, is because it has been so much time that has passed.”
