Gayle King’s ex-husband, William Bumpus, has publicly apologized after the veteran broadcaster revisited details about his past infidelity during a recent podcast interview.
According to Page Six, the apology came shortly after King appeared on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, where she described discovering Bumpus cheating on her with a close friend during their marriage.
In a statement shared with Page Six, Bumpus apologized to King, their children, and their grandchildren for “the pain” he caused decades ago. He acknowledged that King had every right to discuss the experience publicly and described the incident as a painful chapter that changed their family’s trajectory.
“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. I respect her right to tell her story, and that’s where I’ll leave it,” he shared to Page Six.
The former couple was married from 1982 to 1993 and share two children together, daughter Kirby and son William Jr.
During her podcast appearance, King recalled returning home and finding Bumpus with another woman.
“‘I can’t believe that you are here and that you are doing this. I can’t believe that you are doing this.’ And I even said, ‘I thought we were friends!’ It sounded so pitiful,” King remarked.
The apology also included praise for King’s role as a mother and co-parent. Bumpus said the two were able to maintain a strong parenting relationship after their divorce. He also said the pair remain on good terms years later and noted that King recently sent birthday wishes to his teenage daughter from another relationship.
King previously discussed the infidelity publicly in 2016, which also prompted an apology from Bumpus at that time.
The renewed attention surrounding the Gayle King ex-husband apology comes amid broader public interest in King’s recent podcast interview, where she also addressed long-running rumors surrounding her friendship with Oprah Winfrey.
