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William Bumpus, the ex-husband of renowned broadcast journalist Gayle King, has issued a public apology after the CBS Mornings co-host shared the raw details of catching him in an extramarital affair decades ago. Bumpus broke his silence on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, releasing a statement to the media just hours after King’s vulnerable appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast went viral.
During her sit-down with host Alex Cooper, the 71-year-old anchor recounted the devastating moment in June 1990 when she unexpectedly returned home early after a flight was canceled. King recalled being completely oblivious until Bumpus met her at the door wrapped in a towel, insisting she could not come inside. After searching the residence, King discovered her husband with one of her close friends, who was cowering behind a door wrapped in one of King’s bath towels. King admitted that she suppressed a scene at the time solely to shield her young children, though the couple ultimately divorced three years later in 1993.
Responding to the renewed public attention, the 70-year-old attorney took full accountability for his past actions. In a statement delivered to TMZ, Bumpus took a remarkably supportive stance regarding his ex-wife’s public recollections, acknowledging that the pain he caused still ripples through their extended family.
“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,” Bumpus stated. “Those actions were mine.”
Bumpus further conceded that King has every right to share what was a painful chapter that changed the trajectory of their marriage and family nearly forty years ago. He noted that he respects her right to tell her story, and expressed gratitude that the two have managed to maintain an amicable co-parenting relationship over the decades despite his major transgression.
While Bumpus previously issued a public apology regarding the affair back in 2016, his swift response to the podcast episode highlights the enduring public interest in King’s personal life. The former Connecticut assistant attorney general concluded by praising King’s career achievements and expressing pride in the successful family dynamics they managed to build for their children and grandchildren, despite the painful ending of their 11 year marriage.