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Gayle King Says She Caught Ex-Husband Cheating and He Issues Fresh Apology

A podcast interview reopened a decades-old private episode that led to a public mea culpa and renewed conversation about accountability and healing

Overview

  • Gayle King told Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper on Wednesday that she returned home in 1990 and found then-husband William Bumpus with a close friend, an account published across multiple outlets.
  • King said the house alarm went off, police arrived, and she prioritized keeping their two toddlers away from the scene while calling Oprah Winfrey as her first confidante.
  • The couple sought counseling and briefly reconciled after the episode but divorced in 1993 after a later infidelity, according to King’s retelling.
  • Bumpus issued a renewed public apology to TMZ on Thursday in which he accepted responsibility and referenced an earlier 2016 apology; King said she was surprised by the statement but appreciated it and said both have healed.
  • The interview prompted wide media attention and public reaction that highlighted how modern platforms can revive private family trauma and spark discussions about co‑parenting, accountability, and long‑term healing.