Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King prove that platonic friendships are just as important as romantic ones.
During his appearance on the Melinda French Gates Show Moments that make us On Wednesday’s episode of “The Voice” podcast, the TV personalities and their close friends addressed long-running rumors that they’ve been hiding the true nature of their relationship.
“You know, for years people used to say we were gay, and listen, we’ve been against that forever,” Winfrey, 70, said. “And people still think that.”
King, 69, admitted she had been begging Winfrey to do a segment about the unfounded speculation about Oprah Winfrey Show So men know she’s available.
“I used to say, ‘Oprah, you should do a show about this, because it’s hard for me to get a date on a Saturday night with people who think we’re gay,’” the CBS star said. “Because if we were gay, we’d tell you!”
Winfrey believes the rumors gained momentum because most people are “not used to seeing women” have such a strong bond, which she called a “truth bond.”
“The reason I think our friendship has worked is because Gail is happier, not happy, but happier for me for any kind of success or victory or challenge that I have than I am for myself,” Winfrey said.
“And I’m just as happy as she is,” she joked. “I couldn’t be happier than Gayle. I couldn’t be happier. You can’t be happier than her. And I’m just as happy for her.”
Although Winfrey has seen some female friendships rooted in “jealousy” or competition, she and King have been each other’s biggest cheerleaders for nearly 50 years.
Elsewhere in the episode, the duo talked about how different their lives would be without each other.
“I wouldn’t have worked at CBS. I wouldn’t have been to the Met Gala… There are a lot of things I wouldn’t have done. [without Winfrey]King acknowledged that her 1993 divorce from William Bumpass also played a major role in her career.
the What I know for sure The author, who was with her partner Stedman Graham for more than 35 years, said King filled a huge void in her life.
“If we weren’t friends… Gail is mother and sister. [and] “I never had a friend,” she said.
The two women agreed that friendships like theirs are rare — and that’s where the rumors about their sexual orientation began in the first place.
This isn’t the first time the duo has addressed the speculation. In 2006, they spoke about it in the August issue of People magazine. Winfrey Magazine, or.
“I understand why people think we’re gay,” Winfrey said at the time. “There’s no definition in our culture for that kind of bond between women.”
This story originally appeared on Page Six It is republished here with permission.
