Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King Address Longstanding Lesbian Rumors

As Winfrey, 70, and King, 69, appeared on Melinda French Gates‘ Moments That Make Us interview series on Wednesday, July 24, the duo—who have been best friends for nearly 50 years—spoke with Gates, 59, about their relationship and emphasized that if there was anything more to tell, they would.

“I think we’ve shared pretty much everything and I would have to say, it wasn’t even a matter of navigation,” Winfrey said of their bond.

“You know, for years, people used to say we were gay, and listen,” Oprah recalled. “[We] were up against that forever. And people still may think it.”

Gayle then interjected on how it has affected their dating life.

“I used to say [Oprah], ‘You gotta do a show on this,’” Gayle added. “Because it’s hard enough for me to get a date on Saturday night with people thinking we’re gay.”

Gayle—who shares kids Kirby, 38, and William Jr., 37, with ex-husband William Bumpus—emphasized the struggle with the continuity of the rumors, noting, “If we were gay, we would tell you.”

Winfrey then pointed out that she believes those rumors swirl because people “aren’t used to seeing women with this kind of true bond.”

“The reason why I think our friendship has worked is because Gayle is happier—not happy—for me in any kind of success or victory or challenge I get through than I am for myself.”

Oprah and Gayle’s bond has proven stronger than most friendships, dating back some 50 years. It began when both women worked at the Baltimore-area news station WJZ-TV.

“We bonded because we had very like philosophies,” Gayle reflected. “We were so in sync about so many different things, and I’d never met anybody like that.”

Oprah—who met her lifetime partner Stedman Graham in 1986—went on to build an empire with The Oprah Winfrey Show, which ran for 25 years until 2011. And Gayle has been happy to be by her side through it all.

“Who doesn’t want to be her best friend?” Gayle previously told the New York Times.

“If I didn’t think I brought something to the table, or if I wasn’t secure enough with myself then maybe it would bother me. But you know, I’ve been anchoring the news for a long time. I won three Emmys. I’ve proven that I can do that. I never feel I’m in her shadow. I feel I’m in her light, that’s how I look at it.”