Gayle King’s ex-husband, William Bumpus, has opened up about the painful cheating scandal that led to the end of their marriage decades ago. This comes after King shared her story on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, prompting Bumpus to release a statement addressing his past actions.
In his statement to Page Six, Bumpus expressed deep regret for the pain he caused. “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,” he said. He acknowledged that King had every right to share her experience, which changed the course of their relationship nearly 40 years ago. “I respect her right to tell her story, and that’s where I’ll leave it.”
Despite the heartbreak, Bumpus reflected on the positive aspects of their relationship. He praised King for being a supportive partner during his time at Yale Law School and credited her for helping maintain a strong co-parenting relationship after their split. “And it was Gayle who chose, with me, to co-parent successfully from the very beginning — a testament to our shared commitment to our children above all else, and now our grandchildren,” he explained. “The love and camaraderie we forged in that work carried us all these years.”
Bumpus also admitted that he struggled with King’s growing fame, as he has always valued privacy. He noted that he didn’t fully understand her public career during their marriage and often wished their personal life remained out of the spotlight. However, he made it clear that he respects his ex-wife and her achievements. In fact, he called himself “a genuine admirer and fan” who has had a “front-row seat to Gayle’s remarkable success.”
“I continue to work at being the best version of myself, grounded by the friendship, encouragement, and support of Gayle over the years, by the love of our grown children and our grandchildren, and by the daily privilege of raising Poet as a single dad,” he concluded, referring to his 14-year-old son.
As previously reported, King became emotional while discussing the affair during the May 27 episode of Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast. The CBS Mornings co-host recalled discovering Bumpus with one of her close friends after unexpectedly returning home when her flight was canceled. She described walking into the house with their children and immediately sensing something was wrong.
According to King, Bumpus came downstairs wearing only a towel and urged her to leave the home. Feeling confused and “oblivious” at first, she searched the house and found her friend “cowering behind the door in my towel.” The journalist admitted the moment left her feeling “pitiful.” “I can’t believe that you are here and that you are doing this. I even said, ‘I thought we were friends!’” King recalled telling the woman.
Because their children were home at the time, King focused on protecting them from the chaos. “Well, because I was thinking, ‘The kids are here. I don’t want anybody to know,’” she explained when asked how she managed to stay calm. “That was my main thought. I don’t want anybody to know.”
The situation became more complicated when the other woman turned out to be married. When King threatened to call the woman’s husband, Bumpus reportedly tried to stop her. “He goes, ‘Don’t call because they have a good marriage,’” King recalled. She then fired back, “They have a good marriage? The girl’s pajama bottoms are in my bed.”
Shocked by the entire ordeal, King said Oprah Winfrey was the only person she immediately turned to for support. “She said, ‘Well, f— him. Call her husband,’” King remembered. However, when King contacted the man, he reportedly dismissed her accusations and called her “delusional.”
