‘Oprah Your Girl Is Wildin’ Out’: Gayle King’s Confidence Boost Makes Lenny Kravitz Blush During Flirtatious Interview Post-SI Swimsuit Cover

It appears as though Gayle King has more tenacity than ever after flaunting her assets on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

The veteran broadcast journalist is still reeling from the fanfare over her swimsuit photos, so much so that even while dressed in her professional, buttoned-up attire, she can’t seem to closet her newfound fierce persona. Because of that, King now has everyone talking about her cougar ways due to a viral clip from her “CBS Mornings” interview with rockstar Lenny Kravitz.

Gayle King seemingly shoots her shot at Lenny Kravitz after gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated. (Photos: Gayleking/Instagram.)

At one point in their chat, she asked him, “Do you have a significant other in your life and can I beat her ass if she is?” leading the rock star to let out a hearty chuckle.

“Oops. Did I say that out loud?” King quipped with a smile as she then placed her hand over her mouth. “Wow,” said Kravitz. She then insisted, “And I’m not violent, Lenny Kravitz!”

Her fans have been relishing the moment with applause for the 69-year-old, many of whom believe Sports Illustrated gave her the audacity to let loose. “Gayle did her photo shoot now she fast! I love it!!!!” one person joked. Another said, “Gayle did that photo and really feeling herself I see she shooting her shot, in an unprofessional way I might add.”

So many other supporters said that she was simply doing some hard-hitting journalism. “Gayle asking the questions that need answers lol!!” read an Instagram comment. A fourth commenter wrote, “Gayle is making her intentions known, y’all!”

While someone else said that King was not alone in noting how “fine” the celebrated rock and roll musician, many felt she was acting too bold as one wrote, “Oprah your girl is wildin’ out.”

Like Kravitz, King is single and open to possibly meeting a potential romantic partner. The three-time Emmy Award-winner has kept her private life out of the public sphere throughout her career.

Though she has openly spoken about her failed marriage to former attorney William Bumpus, whom she caught in bed with one of her friends, King has never really let on about the men who have managed to woo her.

However, in January when she sat down with “The Pivot” podcast, she revealed that she was looking for a Black man who loved to laugh and knew when and how to use a well-placed curse word. She also candidly spoke about a dating blunder, revealing a suitor once asked her for $4,000 to help settle his child support payment.

“I was so crushed. He was somebody who was making six figures, successful,” King said about the gentleman she had been seeing for a few months. She obliged his request and was repaid days later, but at that point, she said the relationship had been irreversibly altered.

In early May, the “Fly Away” artist sparked rumors after spending time with Mariah Carey. Neither gave credence to the hearsay, and his declaration of being unattached in the “CBS Mornings” chat is proof enough that he has not found love with the singer.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top