Gayle King opens up about a painful sacrifice she made during her marriage to ex-husband William Bumpus.
The veteran broadcaster made the revelation during a May 22 segment CBS morningswhere she revealed that Bumpus didn’t like dogs and made her give up her pet while they were married.
“I love that you’re calling this series ‘Life is Better with Dogs’ because my ex-husband didn’t like dogs,” King said during a conversation with Jonathan Regev, co-founder of Farmer’s Dog.
“Actually, I had to get rid of my dog. That should have been a clue. Shouldn’t it have been a clue?” she added. “I’m still a little bitter!”
King was married to William Bumpus from 1982 to 1993. The former couple have two children, Kirby Bumpus and William Bumpus Jr.
The TV host also spoke about her deep love for dogs during the segment. “I love dogs so much. I know the love they can give you. It’s really unconditional,” she said. “They don’t care what you do or how you do it, they just love you unconditionally.”
King also joked that if she ever had a life again, she would want to return as one of Oprah Winfrey’s pets.
“I always say if I go, I’d like to come back as one of Oprah’s dogs,” she joked. “They look very happy. They live very well. Cashmere, private planes… sign me up!”
King and Bumpus divorced in 1993 after his affair became public. In 2016, Bumpus publicly apologized for the infidelity, calling King “an amazing woman, an excellent mother and a fantastic co-parent.”
