Gayle King‘s ex-husband has entered the chat!
This week, the 71-year-old journalist appeared on Call Her Daddy, where she recounted the time when she caught her then-husband, William G. Bumpus, cheating on her with her friend in June 1990. Bumpus was getting his bump on with the bestie! Ugh! The pair divorced three years later.
Some may expect William to be annoyed at Gayle for reopening old wounds on a podcast after nearly 40 years, but he has a surprising reaction to the whole thing! William issued a statement to TMZ on Thursday night, apologizing for the “pain” he caused Gayle and their family! He even respects the CBS Mornings anchor’s decision to talk about the affair publicly, saying:
“My deepest apologies to Gayle, to our daughter Kirby and her husband, Virgil, to our son William and his wife, Elise, and to our three grandchildren, for the pain I caused decades ago. Those actions were mine. I have long owned them — including publicly in my own words in 2016, which still stand. Gayle has every right to share what was a painful chapter that changed the trajectory of our marriage and our family nearly forty years ago. I respect her right to tell her story, and that’s where I’ll leave it.”
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William went on to express his gratitude for Gayle:
“What I will say is this: I remain endlessly grateful to Gayle. She gave me two of the greatest gifts of my life — our daughter Kirby and our son William. It was Gayle who encouraged and supported me through getting my Yale Law degree. And it was Gayle who chose, with me, to co-parent successfully from the very beginning — a testament to our shared commitment to our children above all else, and now our grandchildren. The love and camaraderie we forged in that work have carried us all these years.”
He insisted they “remain in a good place” after all this time:
“Nearly four decades later, that commitment has only deepened, and Gayle and I remain in a good place. She recently sent warm wishes to Poet, my teenage daughter, on her 16th birthday, which meant a great deal to us both. As a private person by nature, I will admit that during our marriage I did not fully appreciate Gayle’s public life — I wanted ours to be more private, and that was something I wrestled with, and no reflection on her true talent and abilities. I am proud to have had a front-row seat to Gayle’s remarkable success, and I remain a genuine admirer and fan.”
Glad to hear her comments won’t wreck their post-divorce relationship! William concluded:
“I continue to work at being the best version of myself, grounded by the friendship, encouragement, and support of Gayle over the years, by the love of our grown children and our grandchildren, and by the daily privilege of raising Poet as a single dad. That is where my focus remains — on my family, on my clients, and on the work ahead.”
At least William can own up to his mistakes! What are your reactions to the apology, Perezcious readers? Let us know (below)!
[Image via William Bumpus/Instagram, Call Her Daddy/YouTube]
