Gayle King Explains Why She Looked So Terrified Boarding Blue Origin’s Space Flight
Longtime anchor Gayle King may have made history this week as part of an all-female crew on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, but her facial expression stole the show.
On Monday (April 15), the 70-year-old journalist took a brief trip to space alongside Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn. All the ladies appeared excited and calm, except for King, who looked less than thrilled, sparking hilarious reactions from social media users.
Later, during a post-flight press conference, King admitted, “At that moment, I was so afraid. She added, “I just wanted to get into my seat because I just wanted to let the training kick in. So the process of walking up there was a little daunting for me.”
“I got a text from a friend who’s from Germany — so, you know, you have to appreciate the sense of humor — he says, 'Once you get there, you’re going to feel like it’s sex with the gods,’” she said, joking, “Well, [I've] never had sex with a god to my knowledge, so thank you for the visual.”
Despite the initial fear, the star described the trip as unforgettable, marveling at the stillness and vibrant neon blues she witnessed from space.
“I walked out of there thinking, gosh I can do anything,” she said proudly. “I’m so proud of us, I really am proud of me, because I never in a gazillion years thought I could do this.”
