Media mogul Oprah Winfrey and her longtime best friend Gayle King have dismissed longstanding rumors about their romantic involvement.
Appearing on Melinda French Gates’ “Moments That Make Us” interview series, the two friends discussed their close bond. The 70-year-old Winfrey, who has been with her partner Stedman Graham for over 35 years, addressed their friendship with King, 69, saying, “I think we’ve shared pretty much everything, and I would have to say, it wasn’t even a matter of navigation. For years, people used to say we were gay, and listen, we were up against that forever. And people still may think it.”
King added that she used to ask Oprah to publicly clarify that they were just friends as it made dating difficult for her. “If we were gay, we’d tell you!” the mother of two assured viewers.
Winfrey believes the speculation arises because people “aren’t used to seeing women with this kind of bond.” She credited their friendship’s success to King’s genuine happiness for her achievements, which surpasses even her own joy. “And I feel as happy as she does — I can’t be happier than, cannot surpass Gayle. You cannot out-happy her. I am equally as happy for her,” Winfrey said.
She also noted that any hint of jealousy can ruin a friendship. King shared that she assumed every woman had at least one really good friend like she does with Winfrey. She added that she’s not afraid to be real with her best friend, sometimes pointing out things others wouldn’t.
In a 2013 appearance on “Watch What Happens Live,” Winfrey denied ever being intimate with a woman, saying, “No, no I have not. Thank you.”
