Boy, bye! Gayle King’s ex-husband, William Bumpus, is apologizing for cheating on her 26 years ago. Bumpus issued a statement on Wednesday, July 6, after King recalled the incident during a recent Q&A with Vanity Fair.
"I have been haunted with this life altering choice," Bumpus told Page Six via a statement. "Though I have dealt with this privately … I publicly apologize for the major transgression that dramatically changed all of our lives."
“I have nothing but the utmost respect for Gayle and how she handled herself with grace,” Bumpus continued. “Despite the situation, she kept our children, as well as my relationship and involvement with them, as a clear priority. Gayle was a great wife, an excellent mother and a fantastic co-parent. I am eternally grateful for all that she has done and continues to do to enrich my life and the lives of our incredible adult children. I continue to be a work in progress and have spent the last 26 years striving to be a better man and father. I applaud Gayle’s continued phenomenal success and friendship!”
King and Bumpus were married for 11 years before they split in 1993. They’re parents to daughter Kirby and son Will.
The CBS This Morning host, 61, recalled the cheating scandal when Vanity Fair candidly asked who she despises most. "'Despise' is a strong word," Oprah Winfrey’s BFF said. "I'm not a huge fan of the woman I caught naked with my now ex-husband on June 24, 1990, at 9:16 p.m. – but I don't remember the details."
The TV personality previously opened up about Bumpus’ infidelity during a 2006 interview with Will Smith on her SiriusXM radio show, revealing that they’ve since moved on from the scandal for the sake of their kids. Smith was gushing over his marriage with Jada Pinkett Smith at the time.
"I was married to a cheater," she told Smith. "I went to marital counseling. I have been divorced since 1993, so I'm all healed and everything. I have worked it out. I'm not bitter. I'm OK. … It's so important for people who have children together to get along. Regardless of how you feel about the other as a spouse, you still have these children to raise together."
As for the other woman, when asked her name by Page Six, King sniped: “She knows her name!”
