Gayle King is “very surprised” that her ex-husband, William Bumpus, apologized for cheating on her. William broke his silence after Gayle addressed his cheating during an episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast.
“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,” William told TMZ.
“Those actions were mine. I have long owned them – including publicly in my own words in 2016, which still stand,” he added.
TMZ bumped into Gayle outside the CBS Mornings studios in New York City. She expressed surprise that her ex spoke to TMZ because he’s so private and he “never talks.”
“I was surprised, but I can also say, I appreciated what he had to say,” she told TMZ.
“I appreciate it, because listen, that was a very painful time,” Gayle said. “Anybody that’s been through it knows how painful it is, but I also know that you can go through and get through it on the other side. This happened so long ago that we have both healed, we have both moved on, and the reason why I can talk about it so candidly, to be honest with you, is because it has been so much time that has passed.”
Gayle also told TMZ she didn’t know her ex was going to speak out at all. “I was very, very surprised. He didn’t say anything to me about it, so I was surprised, but I’m very appreciative.”
Gayle King recalls finding out her ex-husband was cheating with her close friend. ? https://t.co/CytvWlcb21
Credit: Call Her Daddy pic.twitter.com/fIow7DqSEg
— TMZ (@TMZ) May 27, 2026
William told TMZ that he and Gayle remain friends and she has the right to share her pain publicly.
“Gayle has every right to share what was a painful chapter that changed the trajectory of our marriage and our family nearly forty years ago. I respect her right to tell her story, and that’s where I’ll leave it,” he explained.
William said he struggled with Gayle’s very public life that apparently interfered in their marriage.
“As a private person by nature, I will admit that during our marriage I did not fully appreciate Gayle’s public life,” he said. “I wanted ours to be more private, and that was something I wrestled with, and no reflection on her true talent and abilities. I am proud to have had a front-row seat to Gayle’s remarkable success, and I remain a genuine admirer and fan.”
He added that he is “endlessly grateful to Gayle” who gave him “two of the greatest gifts of my life — our daughter Kirby and our son William.”