NEED TO KNOW
King has been a co-host of CBS Mornings, previously called CBS This Morning, since January 2012
“What I’m hearing in the building is not what I’m reading in the press,” King said on Friday, Oct. 31, when asked about media reports that she’s leaving
Gayle King has responded to the rumor that she will depart as co-host of CBS Mornings next year.
While leaving the CBS Broadcast Center in Manhattan on Friday, Oct. 31, she told TMZ that she was not aware of any changes to her show or contract, despite the flurry of layoffs and high-profile departures that have rattled the newsroom in recent days.
“What I’m hearing in the building is not what I’m reading in the press,” King told TMZ, referencing a report from Variety on Thursday, Oct. 30, that claimed she was on her way out.
“And what I’m not going to do is negotiate in the media,” she added.
King said she has been told by CBS News executives that they appreciate the job she is doing and want her to stay at the network, claiming she has “no idea” if the new management intends to shake things up when her contract ends in May 2026.
“I like the job and the people that I work with,” said King, 70. “I don’t know what to tell you.”
On Thursday, Variety reported that King, who has co-hosted the network’s morning news program since January 2012, may soon assume a new role at the news division. The report suggested that she would part ways with the morning show but could continue producing her own programming for CBS.
A CBS News spokesperson issued a statement in response to the Variety report, saying, “There have been no discussions with Gayle about her contract that runs through May 2026.”
The spokesperson added, “She’s a truly valued part of CBS and we look forward to engaging with her about the future.”
King did not immediately reply to a request for comment from PEOPLE on Friday.
Marla Aufmuth/Getty for Massachusetts Conference for Women
On Wednesday, Oct. 29, Paramount Skydance began layoffs companywide, just months after the Trump administration signed off on a controversial $8 billion merger with Skydance, the Hollywood studio founded by David Ellison.
“These decisions are never made lightly, especially given their effect on our colleagues who have made meaningful contributions to the company,” Ellison, Paramount’s CEO, wrote Wednesday in a memo to employees, which was obtained by PEOPLE.
Ellison said in Wednesday’s memo that the company has been working to restructure since the completion of its merger in August and that the cuts were focused on “addressing redundancies” across the organization and “phasing out roles that are no longer aligned” with Paramount’s evolving priorities.
On Monday, prior to the sweeping layoffs, CBS Evening News co-anchor John Dickerson announced his departure from the network at the end of this year.
“I am extremely grateful for all that CBS gave me — the work, the audience’s attention and the honor of being a part of the network’s history — and I am grateful for my dear colleagues who’ve made me a better journalist and a better human,” Dickerson, who joined the network 16 years ago, wrote in an Instagram post. “I will miss you.”
King joined the revival of CBS This Morning, now known as CBS Mornings, in January 2012, originally hosting alongside Charlie Rose and Erica Hill, the latter of whom was quickly replaced by Norah O’Donnell.
Rose left after allegations of sexual harassment, which he denied, and O’Donnell was tapped to anchor CBS Evening News in 2019.
King has brought consistency to the morning news show throughout its many iterations in the years since, most recently co-hosting the program with Tony Dokoupil and NFL alum Nate Burleson.
