Gayle King appeared on Instagram Tuesday night to clarify details about her best friend Oprah Winfrey’s health.
The 69-year-old news anchor had announced on the latest episode of CBS Mornings that her longtime friend, 70, couldn’t attend her famous book club segment due to a stomach virus.
Later that day, however, King recorded a video chat with the billionaire mogul to set the record straight and let fans know that she was fine and not in the hospital as previously believed.
Gayle wrote in a caption for her million followers: ‘First time for @cbsmornings, announcing @oprah’s latest book club pick without Oprah!’
At one point during the phone call, in which Oprah appeared on a small tablet placed on King’s desk, the journalist asked her if she had offended the former talk show host.
Gayle King appeared on Instagram Tuesday night to clarify details about her best friend Oprah Winfrey’s health.
The 69-year-old news anchor had announced on the latest episode of CBS Mornings that her longtime friend, 70, was unable to attend her famous book club segment due to a stomach virus.
Oprah responded, “No, I thought what you were trying to do was explain why I wasn’t there, and do it in a definitive way.”
Gayle’s caption continued: “She was sidelined by a stomach bug that caused her to be so dehydrated that she went to the hospital to be put on an intravenous drip.”
‘I never said you were hospitalized. “I said you had something in your stomach, that it was coming out from both sides, and that’s how it was,” the mother of two children explained in the clip shared on Instagram.
Oprah interrupted to confirm: “I was in the emergency room.” She was so…’
“Dehydrated,” Gayle helped her explain before the OWN founder continued, “I couldn’t keep enough water down to hydrate, so I went to the ER for that and that’s it.”
King observed, “It sounds like you’re still a little weak,” and Winfrey agreed: “I’m not at 100 (percent). I’m on my way to 100.”
He also revealed: ‘Five people in my house had the same thing. I would say wash your hands because I heard it’s being transmitted through…the doctor told me it (the virus) lives on doorknobs and railings for about ten hours.
“So if you run into someone who was in the house and came downstairs, and then you came downstairs and didn’t wash your hands, you’re done with it.”
Gayle wrote in a caption to her million followers: ‘First time for @cbsmornings, announcing @oprah’s latest book club pick without Oprah!’; the friends photographed in December 2023
“The only point I was trying to make is to show how much you wanted to be there to promote the book because you never miss them,” Gayle expressed about why she revealed Oprah’s business on the morning show.
‘What I wanted to say, America, was that it had to be something that would stop him from getting on a plane and coming. That’s the only point she was trying to make,” she doubled down.
Gayle told her best friend of decades: “I didn’t really think it was a big deal or that it would be something that would bother you, otherwise I never would have said it.”
Oprah agreed: “Yes, I know you wouldn’t have done that.”
He later joked: ‘Every person I’ve ever met who has access to my email has called me to say, ‘Are you okay?’ Thank you!’
Oprah hosted the wedding of Gayle’s son, William Bumpus Jr., at her estate this year
The women’s friendship goes back decades; photographed at the 2024 Grammys
On the morning show, when asked about Oprah’s current state of health, Gayle said, “She’ll be fine.” She will be alright.’
Gayle was interviewing novelist David Wroblewski, whose new release, Familiaris, was selected for Oprah’s book club.
Oprah usually presents her book club selections herself, but she was unable to appear on air Tuesday due to her illness, leaving the task to Gayle.
After vividly explaining the reason for Oprah’s absence, Gayle said, “I hope she’s not mad at me for sharing that detail.”
