Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King share a friendship that has spanned decades, and they’ve made it clear that nothing could come between them—not even the wildest of scenarios. The two media icons have joked about what would happen if King ever “lost her mind” and slept with Winfrey’s long-term partner, Stedman Graham, revealing a hilarious contingency plan for such an unlikely event.
As reported by BuzzFeed, In 2019, during an episode of The O.G. Chronicles, a YouTube advice show co-hosted by Winfrey and King, the friends reminisced about a conversation they had years earlier regarding potential betrayals. Winfrey recalled, “This is interesting. Years ago, I think I’d been dating Stedman…I don’t know…I’ve been dating him since 1775…So we’ve been together a long time…But early on in our relationship, I was doing these shows [like] ‘My sister slept with my sister’s husband’ or ‘My sister slept with my boyfriend,’ and all that. And Gayle said…”
King jumped in, completing the thought: “If you ever catch me and Stedman, you know, boinking around, fooling around, you catch us in bed…[Oprah] shouldn’t even be mad at me, because she should say I’ve lost my mind. Take me to the hospital. You shouldn’t even be upset.” Winfrey continued, “[Gayle] goes, ‘Call someone. Put me in the jackets and have me carried off because you will know that I have lost my mind.'”
King added that if such a scenario were ever to occur, Winfrey should direct her anger toward Stedman, not her. This light-hearted exchange highlights the deep trust and understanding between Winfrey and King, which has been the foundation of their enduring friendship. Reflecting on their bond in a 2021 video shared by Oprah Daily, Winfrey said, “Gayle and I have been friends since we were 21 and 22. Now we’re 66 and 67.”
King, with her usual humor, pointed out that Winfrey is the older one, to which Winfrey responded, “Yes, I’m definitely older. And I have to say that one of the reasons we’ve remained friends is the same thing that I tell people—surround yourself with somebody who is as happy for your happiness as you are for your happiness. Over the years, Gayle has always been happier, I would have to say, for my happiness.”
Their friendship has stood the test of time because of their mutual support and shared values. King reflected, “Why [has] it lasted all these years? I think it’s lasted all of these years because we’re very similar. We really are. From the first time we met, we liked the same people.” Winfrey added, “When we first met, Gayle said, ‘I’ve never met another Black girl like you…’ And I said, ‘I have never met another Black girl like you either.’ So, we’re similar, but we’re very different.” Their bond, built on shared experiences and mutual respect, continues to inspire fans around the world, proving that true friendship can withstand even the most outrageous hypotheticals.