Who is Gayle King’s ex-husband, William Bumpus – who called his ex’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover his ‘teenage fantasy’? The low-key lawyer was married to Oprah Winfrey’s BFF from 1982 to 1993

May 26 , 2024

William Bumpus was married to Gayle King for 11 years, and still has nothing but praise for the CBS Mornings host. Photos: @william.bumpus, @gayleking/Instagram

Not all divorces end on good terms, but it seems Gayle King and William Bumpus, who were married from 1982 to 1993, have managed to keep a sense of humour between them in recent years.

According to US media, Bumpus praised his 69-year-old ex-wife’s “fantastic” Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue cover on May 19. “Well, I can mark off one more item on my highly unlikely to ever happen bucket list! My teenage fantasy of hooking up with a Sports Illustrated Model has finally come true,” he wrote in a statement to the publication, “Wow! Bravo to you Gayle … You Look Fantastic! Bravo to Sports Illustrated for selecting you!”

“I appreciate you more and more as time goes on, as a trailblazer, and also when I see our phenomenal kids and grandkids!” he added. “I am proud of you and continue to wish you nothing but happiness. Enjoy!”

On May 16, the CBS Mornings co-host, also known as Oprah Winfrey’s BFF, had joked about sending her ex-husband a copy of the magazine. “I wonder what my ex-husband is saying. I’m gonna send him a copy!” she told Entertainment Tonight.

Here’s what we know about her ex-husband – and why they broke up:

What does William Bumpus do?

William Bumpus, pictured here with his daughter, was married to Gayle King from 1982 to 1993. Photo: @william.bumpus/Instagram

Despite his famous ex wife, William Bumpus has managed to remain fairly low-key in the years since their split.

William Bumpus recently praised his “phenomenal kids and grandkids”. Photo: @william.bumpus/Instagram

What we do know, however, is that he works as a lawyer.

Do William Bumpus and Gayle King have any children?

William Bumpus celebrating his 63rd birthday with his children Kirby and William Jr. Photo: @william.bumpus/Instagram

King shares two children with Bumpus. According to People, their daughter Kirby Bumpus was born in 1986, and their son William Bumpus Jr was born in 1987. Kirby now has two children of her own, Grayson and Luca, with Virgil Miller.

Why did William Bumpus and Gayle King split up?

Gayle King has dropped several major hints over the years about why her marriage broke up. Photo: @gayleking/Instagram

King has opened up about her ex’s alleged infidelity in interviews, which likely contributed to their decision to call it quits. “He was a great husband,” she once shared in an interview with Pivot. “He had a problem with monogamy – never good in a marriage. Infidelity, just throwing it out there, never good.”

In a 2016 interview with Vanity Fair, King was asked to name a living person she despises, to which she replied, “Despise’ is a strong word. I’m not a huge fan of the woman I caught naked with my now ex-husband on June 24, 1990, at 9:16pm – but I don’t remember the details.”

Fame and celebrity

Last week, Bumpus praised his 69-year-old ex-wife’s ‘fantastic’ Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover, adding, ‘I appreciate you more and more as time goes on’
King and Bumpus were married for 11 years and share 2 children together – a daughter named Kirby and a son named William Bumpus Jr – so why did they break up?