Gayle King is still looking for her happily ever after — and this time, she’s saying it plainly, without jokes, deflection, or internet theatrics leading the conversation.
The longtime journalist and “CBS Mornings” co-host recently shared that love and marriage remain very much on her mind, a confession that quietly turned heads long before a viral moment distracted from the real story.
King made the remark during a candid conversation with WNBA star A’ja Wilson at Time magazine’s annual “A Year in TIME” event in New York City on Dec. 10.
As Wilson spoke about maintaining a connection with her partner, Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo, despite demanding schedules, King reflected on her own desires and revealed she is “looking” for her “own great love story,” according to People.
The moment resonated because King wasn’t selling fantasy, just possibility.
The comments quickly sparked reactions online.
On People magazine’s Facebook page, one reader wrote, “Love is a beautiful thing, I to hope to find it someday, I’m rooting for Gayle to find her soulmate.”
Others leaned into humor, including one who joked, “Tell Oprah, she will buy you a great love story!”
Another wrote, “Good luck with that! LOL!!! Maybe she can find someone at NASA!”
King’s openness isn’t new.
Back in April, following her historic all-female Blue Origin space flight, she told People that “getting married” was next on her bucket list. The timing mattered. After conquering fear and leaving Earth’s atmosphere, she suggested that love felt like the next meaningful frontier. The remark positioned marriage not as a need, but as a choice she still hopes to make.
Still, months later, the conversation veered off course when images of King wearing a large ring and posing with a man began circulating online. The photos fueled speculation that she had quietly gotten engaged or married, pulling attention away from what she had actually said about love. King addressed the rumors directly during an Oct. 31 episode of “CBS Mornings.”
“Been getting a lot of texts, a lot of messages, stories online that I got engaged,” she said as the images appeared 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 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 situation became more awkward when King revealed she had been flooded with congratulations.
Her co-host Nate Burleson leaned into the moment, encouraging viewers to shoot their shot.
“So for all you guys watching, go ahead and shoot your shot — she’s still single,” he said. King laughed and agreed, replying, “You still have a shot!”
That invitation didn’t go unnoticed.
When MSN reposted the story, several men jumped into the comments.
One wrote, “Hello Mz. Gayle, you still looking good, I wonder if you’re not too fragile perhaps we could might work some of that great love story out? Huh? Perhaps we could meet and celebrate your upcoming birthday? Huh? All the best and Happy Holidays! Holla!”
Another tested boundaries entirely, asking, “at 80 years old… just be willing to share your fortune lol.”
King was previously married to attorney William Bumpus from 1982 to 1993, and they share two adult children. While that chapter ended long ago, it didn’t end her belief in love. In recent years, she has said she’s open to dating younger men — within reason — and wants someone confident, secure, and independent.
What remains is a woman speaking honestly about where she is — not where people assume she should be. King isn’t chasing a headline or rushing a milestone; she’s simply leaving room for something meaningful to find her. At 70, she’s clear-eyed, confident, and unapologetic about wanting companionship on her own terms — a reminder that love doesn’t expire, and hope doesn’t need permission to stay.
