Oprah Winfrey‘s bestie Gayle King came under fire for comments she made about the late NBA star Kobe Bryant, who died tragically with his daughter, Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash last month.
King was heavily criticized for asking about Bryant’s rape accusation during her CBS This Morning interview with former WNBA star Lisa Leslie.
Bryant was accused of raping a 19-year-old desk clerk at a Colorado resort in 2003. The charges were later dropped after the woman accepted an out-of-court settlement and declined to pursue charges against the Lakers star.
During the interview, King asked Leslie about the rape allegations against Bryant and whether or not they “complicate” his NBA legacy.
Leslie said the allegations were a “non-issue” for her and that the Bryant she knew would never lust after other women in her presence.
“It’s not complicated to me at all, Leslie said. “Even if there’s a few times that we’ve been at a club at the same time, Kobe’s not the kind of guy, never been, like, ‘Lis, go get that girl, or tell her, or send her this.'”
Leslie added that she knows other NBA stars who are dogs like that, but not Bryant.
After the interview aired, King received backlash from furious social media users who accused her of trying to smear Bryant’s legacy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agjLS3OWP_k
