Gayle King Details Catching Her Ex-Husband Having an Affair

They say a woman always knows.

Gayle King says she didn’t realize her marriage was troubled until she unexpectedly came home to find her husband, William Bumpus, with a friend. A cancelled flight led to her early return and the shocking discovery.

Gayle remembered telling Alex Cooper on the May 27th episode of Call Her Daddy that she found it odd the alarm was set. She thought, ‘Why would it be on? You’re alone and a grown man – he never sets it.’

Oh my gosh, you will NOT believe this! He just burst out of the room, like, flew! And he had a towel wrapped around him, and he just yelled, ‘You can’t come in!’ I was so confused! I mean, can’t come in? What was he even talking about? Then he repeated it, ‘You can’t come in. Someone’s here!’ I was dying to know who ‘someone’ was! It was insane!

Gayle explained that she didn’t immediately trust what her husband—the father of her children, Kirby, now 40, and William, now 39—told her. She started looking around the house to check for herself. At the time, Kirby was 3 years old and William was 2.

She remembered finding her behind the door, hiding and wrapped in her towel. She was shocked and said, ‘I can’t believe you’re here, doing this. It’s unbelievable.’ She even pleaded, sounding upset, ‘I thought we were friends.’

In 1990, Gayle King discovered her husband, William, was having an affair. She confided in her close friend, Oprah Winfrey, immediately after finding out. Though the affair was discovered then, they didn’t officially divorce until 1993, after eleven years of marriage.

For his part, William has apologized publicly for his actions.

He revealed in a July 2016 statement to Page Six that he’d been deeply affected by a life-changing decision. While he’d kept it private, he publicly apologized for the serious mistake that significantly impacted everyone involved. He expressed deep respect for Gayle and admired how she navigated the situation with dignity, always prioritizing their children and his relationship with them.

He shared that his wife, Gayle, was a wonderful mother, a great partner in parenting, and an amazing person overall. He expressed deep gratitude for everything she’s done – and continues to do – to make his life and the lives of their grown children better. He also mentioned he’s always working to improve himself as a man and a father, a journey he’s been on for the past 26 years.

Gayle said she hadn’t suspected her husband of anything until a specific moment made her start to wonder. She shared this with Alex, explaining it was the first time she felt something might be wrong.

I’ve always thought that if I ever wrote a book, the very first line would be ‘Whack’ – the sound of a tennis ball being hit,” the 71-year-old explained. She recalled a woman – whose identity she’s kept private – telling Bill, “Nice shot.” The way the woman said it, with such closeness in her voice, gave her goosebumps. “It was strange,” she said, “I couldn’t understand why I felt that way.”

Both women were married with two young children, and they were all friends, making them a close group of four.

You know, something really struck me about how Bill was complimented. Gayle mentioned the way someone said ‘Nice shot, Bill,’ and it made me question if there was a connection, a look exchanged between them. When I brought it up to him later, he completely denied it – and honestly, that’s a classic tactic. They try to make you doubt your own perception, question what you think you saw. He just flat-out said, ‘Absolutely not,’ and it felt like he was trying to convince me I was imagining things.

Despite her reservations, Gayle insisted she knew what she had witnessed, but she wasn’t ready to end her marriage just yet.

She explained that having children saved her marriage. They went to therapy and attempted to resolve their issues, even going through a divorce and reconciliation. Ultimately, she came to the conclusion that her husband hadn’t fundamentally changed.

For more celebrity couples who found themselves embroiled in cheating scandals, read on.

After photos surfaced showing Kristen Stewart with her Snow White and the Huntsman director, Rupert Sanders, she and her Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson broke up in 2013. Both actors have since moved on and found new partners.

Robert Pattinson dated FKA Twigs for three years, ending in 2017. He then started a relationship with Suki Waterhouse, and they had a daughter in 2024.

I’ve followed Stewart’s relationships for years, and it’s been interesting to see them unfold! Before she married Dylan Meyer in 2025, she dated a few amazing women – I remember Alicia Cargile, St. Vincent, and Stella Maxwell were all really prominent relationships for her. It’s great to see her so happy now!

Following the scandal, Sanders and his wife at the time, model Liberty Ross, divorced after a decade of marriage and having two children together.

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck announced their separation in June 2015 after ten years of marriage. Shortly after, rumors spread alleging that Affleck had been having an affair with their children’s nanny, which he publicly refuted.

Jennifer Garner later explained that she and Ben Affleck had already been living apart for months before the rumors about a nanny surfaced. She emphasized that the nanny played no role in their decision to get divorced, telling Vanity Fair in 2016, “We had been separated for months before I ever heard about the nanny. She had nothing to do with our decision to divorce.”

As a longtime fan, it was sad to hear when Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck divorced back in 2018. But I really admire how they’ve continued to prioritize their kids – Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel – and co-parent them so well, even after the split.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez got back together in 2021, after previously dating in the early 2000s. They married in 2022, but separated in 2024.

Meanwhile, Garner has been dating businessman John Miller on-and-off since 2018.

Following their separation announcement in November 2020, Gleb Samodanova publicly claimed her husband, Dmitry Savchenko, had been unfaithful. Rumors circulated among fans that Savchenko and his Dancing With the Stars dance partner, Chrishell Stause, were having an affair, but both of them denied the allegations.

Savchenko addressed his wife’s accusations by stating that his relationship with Chrishell has always been purely friendly. He clarified that their friendship during their time on Dancing with the Stars didn’t cause their separation, explaining that he and Elena had been experiencing marital problems for a while, and the timing just happened to coincide with everything else.

Savchenko and Samodanova—who share daughters Olivia and Zlata—finalized their divorce in October 2021.

In September 2022, Instagram model Sumner Stroh publicly accused Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine of having a year-long affair with her and of planning to name his third child after her. Levine denied the affair but acknowledged he’d made mistakes, saying he acted inappropriately during a difficult time.

After the accusations surfaced, Prinsloo supported her husband. A source told TopMob News that while she’s hurt, the Victoria’s Secret model believes his denial of a physical affair.

The couple remained together and later had a son, joining his older sisters, Dusty Rose and Gio Grace.

Many were surprised when Sandra Bullock filed for divorce months after her 2009 Oscar speech, which she dedicated to Jesse James, the founder of West Coast Choppers. The divorce followed allegations that James had been having an 11-month affair with a tattoo model. At the time, Bullock and James were also in the process of adopting a son named Louis.

Since then, Sandra Bullock adopted a daughter named Laila and started a relationship with photographer Bryan Randall. Sadly, Randall passed away in 2023 at the age of 57 after a battle with ALS.

Let me tell you, life can take some unexpected turns! I was so excited when James married Bonnie Rotten back in 2022, and then they were blessed with a little boy the next year. It was a bit of a surprise, though, when Bonnie filed for divorce in 2024. Thankfully, it seems they’re working things out because she actually asked the court to dismiss the divorce petition. It’s always wonderful to see couples trying to make things work!

Despite trying to work through rumors of infidelity, Azalea ended her engagement with Young in 2016. She revealed she had seen footage on their security cameras showing him with other women, confirming her suspicions.

Since then, Young moved on, welcoming four kids with fiancée Keonna Green.

Azalea also had a child! In 2020, she and Playboi Carti welcomed their son, Onyx.

In 2005, Hugh Law publicly apologized to Kate Miller after it was revealed he had an affair with their children’s nanny. They briefly separated, but got back together in 2009 before splitting up again in 2011.

The actor has since gone on to father more children (he has seven total) with different women.

Miller became engaged to Tom Sturridge and they had a daughter, Marlowe, in 2012. They separated in 2015.

The actress went on to welcome another daughter with Oli Green in 2024.

I was absolutely floored back in 2011 when I found out Arnold had a son, Joseph Baena, with the housekeeper… while he was still married to Maria! It was such a shock. I remember reading about it everywhere, and then Maria filed for divorce just months later. It took a full decade, but the divorce was finally finalized in 2021. Honestly, it was a really messy situation, and I’ve been following it all since day one.

Even after their divorce, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver have remained on good terms. Their son, Patrick Schwarzenegger, has also become friends with Joseph.

After being engaged for seven years, Boston Celtics head coach Udoka was suspended for the 2022-2023 season due to a reported intimate relationship with a female staff member, according to ESPN sources.

Udoka apologized for his behavior, saying he was sorry for disappointing the players, fans, the Celtics organization, and his family. He acknowledged the difficult situation he created and accepted the team’s decision regarding the matter.

The pair split in December 2022.

Holly Wilkinson has stated that her husband’s trusting and easily deceived nature contributed to accusations of infidelity in 2014. While they attempted to reconcile, she filed for divorce in 2018. The divorce was finalized in 2019. The couple share two children: a son named Hank and a daughter named Alijah.

For years, Tiger Woods was the most famous golfer in the world. However, in 2009, his personal life fell apart when he publicly admitted to infidelity. He entered treatment for sex addiction, and his marriage to his wife and mother of his children ultimately ended in divorce.

Tiger Woods dated professional skier Lindsey Vonn for three years, but they broke up in 2015. Before that, he was linked to Erica Herman, and later had a relationship with Vanessa Trump.

As for Nordegren, she welcomed a son with NFL star Jordan Cameron in 2019.

Just nine months after getting married, the actor was accused of being unfaithful to the singer from the Black Eyed Peas. Josh Duhamel strongly denied the rumors, calling them untrue. Fergie later told Oprah Winfrey in a 2013 interview that the difficult experience actually brought them closer. Despite having a son named Axl, the couple eventually separated in 2017 after eight years of marriage.

After dating actress Eiza González, Josh Duhamel married Audra Mari in 2022. The couple then welcomed their son, Shepherd, in 2024.

In 2009, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star separated from her husband of nine years, who fathered her two children, after he had an affair with singer Leann Rimes while filming the Lifetime movie Northern Lights.

After years of conflict with her ex-husband and his wife, things have calmed down. As Glanville noted in 2021, both sides have matured significantly after a long period of disagreement – about ten years of fighting, to be exact.

Ned, one of the original members of the popular YouTube group The Try Guys, left the group in September 2022 following reports of an affair with a colleague. He publicly acknowledged having a consensual relationship with someone at work and apologized for the hurt it caused, especially to his wife, Ariel, and the group’s fans.

Ariel and Ned, parents of two young sons, have asked for privacy. In a statement, Ariel said that their family is their top priority and they hope the public will respect their children’s needs during this time.

The couple confirmed in 2025 that they had parted ways.

Oh my gosh, you wouldn’t BELIEVE Tori and Dean’s story! I’ve been following them forever, and it all started to really fall apart back in 2013 when he had that whole thing happen while he was working up in Canada. They seemed to get through it, honestly! They have five kids, and for a while, it looked like they were doing okay. But then, out of nowhere, they announced they were splitting up this year, in 2023! I’m still reeling, I swear. It’s just… heartbreaking to watch after all this time.

While going through a divorce and fighting for custody of their children, Cook revealed he had an affair with his 18-year-old assistant. His divorce from Brinkley became final in 2008, following a difficult two-year legal process.

Brinkley went on to date John Mellencamp, but split with the singer in 2016 after a year together.

In 2014, chef Todd Cook faced another cheating allegation when his then-wife, Suzanne Shaw, publicly accused him of repeated infidelity and apologized to Christie Brinkley for ignoring her warnings. Cook and Shaw later divorced. In 2023, he married Alba Jancou.

A year-long affair between the former U.S. President and White House intern Monica Lewinsky almost led to his impeachment. Despite the intense media attention, Hillary Clinton stood by her husband and later ran for President herself in 2016.

In 2009, David Letterman, host of the Late Show, publicly admitted to receiving blackmail threats. Someone was trying to expose his affairs with several women who worked on his show. Letterman confirmed the allegations and apologized to his partner, Regina Lasko, and his staff. He and Lasko have since remained together and have a son.

After discovering her husband’s infidelity following two decades of marriage, the star of The Real Housewives of New York reinvented herself. She created her own wine brand and became a partner in AOA Restaurant in New York City.

2026-05-27 22:23

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