Gayle King Addresses CBS News ‘Drama’ & Her Future on ‘CBS Mornings’
What To Know
- Gayle King acknowledged ongoing “drama” and uncertainty at CBS News following recent leadership changes and co-host Tony Dokoupil’s promotion to CBS Evening News anchor.
- Despite rumors about her future, King stated she is staying out of the drama, focusing on her job, and has been reassured by CBS that they value her presence on CBS Mornings.
- King recognized that Dokoupil’s departure will bring changes, but expressed happiness for his promotion and emphasized her continued commitment to the show.
Long-time CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King has admitted there is “drama” at CBS News amid recent shake-ups and new hirings, but she is doing her best to stay out of it.
In a preview of her interview on Sherri, which was pre-taped and set to air on Friday (December 12), King was asked about the ongoing changes at CBS, including her CBS Mornings co-host Tony Dokoupil’s new role as CBS Evening News anchor, and whether she is being forced out of her morning show job.
“I saw those rumors,” King told Sherri Shepherd. “What I say is this, I’m not going to negotiate in the press. I hear one thing in the building and one thing outside the building. I’ll be reading an article, and I’m like, ‘That’s not true, that’s not true.'”
She continued, “I’ve decided I’m going to stay out of the drama… and there is some drama. I’m going to stay out of that and just continue to do my job.”
“My kids call me, and they go, ‘Mom, what’s going on?’ And I go, ‘What have you heard?’ That’s how I look at it,” King added.
The drama comes after Paramount’s merger with Skydance earlier this year, followed by the hiring of Bari Weiss as CBS News’ new editor-in-chief. Weiss has been putting her stamp on the network, including tapping ABC News’ Matt Gutman for a role on the network and promoting Dokoupil to anchor of CBS Evening News.
With Dokoupil leaving CBS Mornings, the show’s future and King’s role on it are now in question. King first joined CBS News in November 2011 and began hosting CBS This Morning the following January. She has remained a regular fixture on morning TV for 14 years, through the show’s transition from This Morning to CBS Mornings.
“I like the job, and I’m told they like me,” King told Shepherd, echoing comments she made to TMZ last month after Variety reported she would step down after her contract ends in May 2026.
“All I can say is this: From what I’m being told inside this building … all I’ve been told by everybody in this building is that they want me here. They like the job I’m doing. I like the job I’m doing,” she previously told TMZ.
However, King acknowledged to Shepherd that Dokoupil’s new role will bring changes to CBS Mornings. “Tony’s promotion is certainly going to mean changes at CBS Mornings. There’s no question about that, so we shall see,” she stated.
She also added that she’s “very happy” for Tony, revealing they played The Jeffersons song, “We’re moving up to the East Side,” to celebrate the news.
CBS Mornings, Weekdays, 7a/6c, CBS
CBS Evening News, Weekdays, 6:30 E.T., CBS
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