Well, well, well, gather around folks because Oprah Winfrey has finally decided to address one of Hollywood’s most persistent rumors: her relationship with Gayle King. This juicy tidbit comes directly from a candid conversation with Melinda French Gates in the Moments That Make Us series.

Now, before you grab your popcorn, let’s get something straight. Oprah, the 70-year-old media mogul and the queen of everyone’s hearts, and her 69-year-old BFF, Gayle, who is basically the anchor of CBS Mornings, have been thick as thieves for decades. Their bond has been the subject of endless speculation. So, what’s the deal? Are they secretly a couple?

Here’s Oprah laying it out, plain and simple: “For years, people used to say we were gay, and listen, we were up against that forever. And people still may think it.” She gets it; she understands why folks might think so. Gayle, ever the supportive friend, piped in with a bit of sass: “I used to say to Oprah: ‘You gotta do a show on this because it’s hard enough for me to get a date on Saturday night with people thinking we’re gay’. Because if we were gay, we’d tell you!”

Winfrey, who has been blissfully in love with her long-term partner Stedman Graham since 1986, elaborates that the rumors likely started because people weren’t used to seeing women share such a close, intimate bond. Let’s be real, it’s not every day you see such unwavering female friendship splashed across the media.

“One of the things I used to think was that people weren’t accustomed to seeing women with this kind of truth bond,” Oprah shared. This is especially illuminating when you consider how she views their friendship. “The reason why I think our friendship has worked is because Gayle is happier, not happy, but happier for me for any kind of success or victory or challenge I get through than I am for myself.”

Gayle had her two cents to add: “I feel as happy as she does – I can’t be happier than, cannot surpass Gayle. You cannot out-happy her. I am equally as happy for her … [There is not even a] hint of jealousy about anything”. Now if that doesn’t melt your heart, I don’t know what will. Everyone should be lucky enough to have a friend like Gayle.

The origins of their legendary friendship trace back to the late ‘70s when both were struggling journalists at WJZ-TV in Baltimore. Oprah, a then 22-year-old news anchor, offered 21-year-old Gayle a place to crash during a major snowstorm. The rest, as they say, is history.

As Oprah dished to People in 2022, “We ended up talking all night long. We’ve literally been friends ever since.” And Gayle added in 2006 to The Oprah Magazine that she had ‘never met’ anybody like her friend, and Oprah noted their deep bond of being ‘the odd girl out’ in various social setups. It’s this raw authenticity that made them such a rare find for each other.

“We didn’t fit into everybody else’s perception of what it’s like to be a Black girl,” Oprah shared. “But we still had a very strong sense of being Black and were very proud of being Black. So to meet another Black girl like that was, wow!”

So, there you have it, folks. If Oprah’s word isn’t enough to settle the rumor mill, nothing will. What we do know for certain is that their friendship is the kind we all should strive for – one built on genuine love, unfiltered support, and the kind of happiness that nobody can outshine.

In the end, Oprah and Gayle’s story isn’t just about squashing rumors; it’s about celebrating an enduring friendship that has stood the test of time, public scrutiny, and more. So here’s to lifelong friends who lift each other up. May we know them, may we be them, and may we always celebrate them.