Gayle King Says She Is ‘Looking’ for Her Own ‘Great Love Story’

Gayle King is hoping for her happily ever after.

During a wide-ranging conversation with WNBA star A’ja Wilson at TIME magazine’s annual A Year in TIME event in New York City on Dec. 10, King, 70, revealed that she is “looking” for her own “great love story.” She made the comment after Wilson, 29, opened up about how she and partner Bam Adebayo stay connected despite their busy schedules and “show up for each other in so many ways.”

In April, just weeks after traveling to space on a historic, all-female Blue Origin flight, King told PEOPLE that “getting married” was the next item on her bucket list.

The CBS Mornings co-host was previously wed to attorney William Bumpus from 1982 to 1993. The pair share daughter Kirby Bumpus, 39, and son William Bumpus Jr., 37.

Months after sharing her goal of walking down the aisle again, it seems some on the internet thought she had checked that item off her bucket list. Rumors that she was engaged or married began to swirl when images showing King wearing a large ring and posing with a man went viral online.

The journalist shut down the speculation during the CBS Mornings broadcast on Oct. 31.

“Been getting a lot of texts, a lot of messages, stories online that I got engaged,” she said at the time, as the images were shown on-screen. “Take a look at me with a big ring on my finger. There’s a lucky man — I have no idea who he is.”

King went on to explain that the images circulating online were generated by artificial intelligence. “These [AI-]generated images have been making their way across the internet,” she said. “So I’m here to say exclusively on CBS Mornings, I’m not married, not even engaged.”

The Note to Self author shared that the situation was particularly embarrassing because she had been flooded with effusive messages about her non-existent romance. “People have been saying, ‘Congratulations,’ ‘Love really happened to you,’ ‘I’m so happy for you,’ ” King revealed.

She even read aloud one of the false reports, which claimed that “the man who has captured her heart is none other than a prominent figure in the business world.”

King then joked, “Where is he? I would like to see you, sir! Show yourself!”

She continued to read, “Known for his philanthropic efforts and his low-profile lifestyle, the revelation has been a new layer of intrigue to the story, meaning we’re curious about who this lucky partner is.”

“He’s so lucky, even my kids said, ‘Mom, who is this?’ Well, I have no idea!” King said with a laugh.

“I’m not married or engaged,” she insisted. “Believe me, if I was, you’d hear it here first.”

King’s co-host, Nate Burleson, then playfully told viewers, “So for all you guys watching, go ahead and shoot your shot — she’s still single.”

In response, King laughed and agreed: “You still have a shot!”

Last year, King revealed why she thinks some men find it “intimidating” to date her.

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“Somebody said to me once, ‘Gayle, look at your shoes … look at your bag, look at your coat. You’re friends with Oprah [Winfrey].’ A guy looks at that and says, ‘I can’t compete with that,’ ” King said on The Pivot Podcast in January 2024. “But my thing is, it’s not a matter of competing. I’m not looking for someone to compete.” 

The mom of two went on to share some of the characteristics she looks for in a potential partner. “You want somebody who has a sense of humor, who’s very secure, who’s not intimidated by whatever all of this is, that just sees you for you,” she said, adding, “I really am attracted to men of color. I just am.”