Everyone loves a good dynamic duo. From Bonnie and Clyde to Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin, a pair of best friends tugs on our heartstrings like nothing else. Oprah Winfrey is already a powerful and accomplished woman, beloved by America for her generosity, relatability and genuineness. However, the friendship between Oprah and Gayle brings our love of her to a whole new level!
The Beginning of Oprah and Gayle
(Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
For those who don't know the ins and outs of Oprah Winfrey's personal life, she has the most amazing friendship with Gayle King, who is the editor at large for O, The Oprah Magazine. Gayle King is also a well-known TV personality, author and journalist for CBS News, along with being the co-host of CBS This Morning. These two social media moguls have been friends for over 40 years and are still going strong!
The celeb BFFs met back in 1976, when they were both 20-somethings working as journalists at Baltimore's WJZ station. Oprah was the anchor for the 6 o'clock news, while Gayle was a production assistant. The friendship began when Gayle couldn't get home during snow storm, and Oprah invited her to stay over. That night, they struck a bond, discovering their similarities in music taste and experiences as black women.
Our Favorite Dynamic Duo
Throughout the first season of the legendary talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show, Gayle made many memorable appearances. One of the most touching was in 1994, when Gayle surprised Oprah on her 40th birthday. She showed up in the middle of an episode as Oprah's celeb guests Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight and Phylicia Rashad were discussing how they lived their best lives in their 40's. The best friend duo hugged and cried, and Oprah exclaimed how much she had been wishing that her bestie Gayle had been there!
Years later, the best friends embarked on a 10-day road trip, which was featured in an Oprah Winfrey Show episode. These two adventurers drove 3,600 miles from Santa Barbara, California to New York City in a trusty Chevrolet.
Along with being there through birthdays and epic adventures, this dynamic duo has been there for each other throughout big career moments as well. In a career-defining moment, Gayle was Oprah's date to the Golden Globes when she accepted her Cecile B. DeMille Award. Then, on CBS This Morning, Gayle accompanied Oprah to her first time seeing the exhibit at the National Museum of African American History and Culture dedicated to Oprah's life and career.
But it wasn't only Gayle supporting Oprah, because four months later, Oprah was the one to present the award when Gayle was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable (B&C) Hall of Fame. In 2019, Oprah was also there for Gayle during her R. Kelly Interview. After the Surviving R. Kelly documentary came out, Gayle was the first to interview him after his 10 counts of sexual abuse. Winfrey tweeted about her BFF, praising Gayle's ability to stay calm and professional when R. Kelly didn't. Soon after, Gayle was named one of the "Time 100 Most Influential People," which Oprah again publicly praised on her twitter.
Recent Oprah Gayle BFF Moments
(Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
In 2020, Oprah interviewed Gayle in Denver, Colorado as part of the WW 2020 Vision Tour. This touching interview revealed much about their steadfast friendship, ending on a sweet, sentimental note. The last big moment the two publicly had was during the difficult times of the Coronavirus pandemic.
During the pandemic, Oprah invited Gayle to her Santa Barbara home, giving up her guest house for Gayle to quarantine in. After 13 days of solo quarantining, Gayle tested negative for Covid-19 and the pair finally reunited.
In 2022, People Magazine honored Gayle and Oprah's decades long friendship with a fun photo shoot alongside other celebrities. At this point, the pair have been buddies for nearly 50 years, which is pretty incredible.
For more on this beloved duo, you can get an inside scoop from the OG Chronicles, a video series where the two give advice and tell personal stories to their fans. I know I can't get enough!
This post was originally published on April 12, 2021.
