Gayle King is clearing the air on the long-running rumor mill around her and bestie Oprah Winfrey.

In a new appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, King said speculation that she and Winfrey were romantically involved “used to really bother” her, especially after her divorce from her then-hisband, when the National Enquirer claimed the split happened because she and Winfrey were “secretly gay.” King said that was false and added, “If we were gay, we would tell you. Believe me, there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s just…I prefer a man.” 

King also said she once asked Winfrey to address the rumors on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” because the headlines were affecting her dating life. According to King, she told Winfrey, “It’s hard enough for me to get a date on a Saturday night, and now people think I’m a lesbian. You’ve got to say something,” but Winfrey declined and told her to “leave it alone.” 

The “CBS Mornings” co-host said she understands the story better now, but at the time it was hard to ignore though she eventually stopped letting them get to her. “I’ve now gotten to the point in my life that very few things get to me,” she said, adding that she now cares more about what trusted people think than what strangers online say. 

King and Winfrey have been friends for nearly 50 years, after meeting while working at WJZ-TV in Baltimore. Their bond has remained one of the most visible friendships in media, even as people kept trying to turn it into something else. 

For King, it was bigger than just gossip. But now, she says she no longer feels the need to explain herself every time people speculate.