*Gayle King and her bestie Oprah Winfrey did an interview a while back and addressed the longstanding gay rumors about them.
The dynamic duo has been friends for four decades and rumor has it that at some point their close friendship turned intimate.
As you know, Oprah has maintained a romance with her longtime beau Steadman Graham, who is also rumored to be on the down-low. In a nutshell, Steadman is said to be Oprah’s beard while Gayle is said to be the love of her life.
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As reported by I Love Old School Music, check out below what the two women had to say about the gay rumors during a candid conversation with the interviewer, Lisa, for O Magazine:
Lisa: Well, let’s get right to it! Every time I tell somebody, “I’m interviewing Oprah and Gayle,” the response is always the same: “Oh. [Long pause] Are they…you know…together?”
Oprah Winfrey: You’re kidding. People are still saying that?
L: Every single person. And I say, “No, I don’t think so.” And invariably, they respond with something like “You know, you’re very naive.”
Oprah: I understand why people think we’re gay. There isn’t a definition in our culture for this kind of bond between women. So I get why people have to label it—how can you be this close without it being sexual? How else can you explain a level of intimacy where someone always loves you, always respects you, admires you?
Gayle King: Wants the best for you.
Oprah: Wants the best for you in every single situation of your life. Lifts you up. Supports you. Always! That’s an incredibly rare thing between even the closest of friends.
Gayle: The truth is, if we were gay, we would so tell you, because there’s nothing wrong with being gay.
Oprah: Yeah. But for people to still be asking the question, when I’ve said it and said it and said it, that means they think I’m a liar. And that bothers me.
Gayle: Well, particularly given how open you’ve been about everything else in your life.
Oprah: I’ve told nearly everything there is to tell. All my stuff is out there. People think I’d be so ashamed of being gay that I wouldn’t admit it? Oh, please.
Lisa: Do the rumors bother you, Gayle?
Gayle: Not anymore, but I used to say, “Oprah, you have to do something. It’s hard enough for me to get a date on a Saturday night. You’ve got to go on the air and stop it!” And then you realize you really can’t stop it. And, you know, somebody made a good point: “Well, every time we see you, you’re together,” which is true.
Oprah: We were just down in the Bahamas—I was giving a wedding for my niece there. And we’re having this big party in my suite. And who comes walking in—
Gayle: With my suitcase.
Oprah: With her suitcase! And I knew what all the waiters, what everybody was thinking: “They’re gay. This proves it. Has to be, because Stedman isn’t around.”
Gayle: And sure enough, the tabloid headline was OPRAH’S HIDEAWAY WITH GAL PAL. Ridiculous. But that said, I have to admit, if Oprah were a man, I would marry her.
Lisa: Sorry, Gayle, I just don’t buy it. Everyone knows Oprah’s not tall enough for you.
Oprah: She has a point.
Gayle: I do like ’em big.
And there you have it!
Do you believe Oprah and Gayle are secret lovers? Sound off in the comments.
