Gayle King reveals ‘so many women’ all said the same thing to her after stripping down to her swimsuit at 69 for Sports Illustrated
Gayle King said many people reached out to her after she recently posed for the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
The CBS Mornings co-host said that after she stripped down at age 69 for the final issue, which premiered in May, “so many women” told her the same thing.
“I’ve had so many women come up to me and say, ‘That was so brave,’” she said People at the Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program on Tuesday.
The TV personality, who was left speechless after Halle Berry made an off-color comment about her vagina on her daytime talk show, said she was “really happy” to be featured in the magazine and “thrilled” when she heard she had been chosen for a solo cover.
“Was it brave? I was just excited. That’s what it was for me,” she said. “To show you that it’s 69 and I feel really good.”
Gayle King revealed that a lot of people reached out to her after she recently posed for the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. The CBS Mornings co-host said that after she stripped down at age 69 for the recent issue, which was unveiled in May, “so many women” told her the same thing
“Now that’s stepping outside your comfort zone,” she added.
“Honestly, when they called me, I thought I was being pranked,” she recalls of the time she was asked to cover the final issue.
“I did,” she continued. “I thought I was being made fun of.”
King also said she never dreamed of reporting for the magazine because she thought it would be impossible.
She previously told People after the magazine issue hit stores: “This wasn’t something I dreamed of.”
She added: ‘But it was one of the highlights of everything I’ve done because I never thought this would be possible.’
In addition to King, Kate Upton, Hunter McGrady and Chrissy Teigen also posed for solo covers for the 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
When her fellow cover stars handed her a song during the May 14 taping of CBS Mornings, King screamed with excitement.
“I’ve had so many women come up to me and say, ‘That was so brave,'” she said. “Was it brave? I was just excited. That was it for me,” she said. “To show you that I’m 69 and I feel really good.”
King also said she never dreamed of covering the magazine because she thought it would be impossible
“I’m on the cover! They said I was only going to be on the inside! Isn’t this a dummy cover? Is this going to be on the newsstands? Oh my God! Oh my God!”
The broadcast journalist continued: ‘I’m floating, I’m floating. I can’t believe it! Never in my wildest dreams! Never, never, never.’
On the cover, King wore a printed swimsuit and a cover-up by Evarae.
“I wanted a tasteful neckline and they delivered that perfectly,” she said of the swimsuits she wore for the photo shoot.
She also said that she had not followed an intensive diet and that she had exercised regularly before the photoshoot.
“The day before I had a cheeseburger,” she said. “That’s one of my favorite things. I thought I was going to eat less, but I didn’t.”
She also said she was grateful to be able to encourage future generations to embrace their inner confidence.
“We all know that beauty comes from within, but I also know that people see you with their eyes first,” she told the newspaper.
In addition to King, Kate Upton, Hunter McGrady and Chrissy Teigen also posed for solo covers for the 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue; pictured in Los Angeles in February
On the cover, King wore a printed swimsuit and cover-up by Evarae. She also said she didn’t go on an intense diet and kept up her normal workout routine for the photoshoot; pictured in Los Angeles in February
“I think looking good and feeling good is important,” she said. “But I also think that if you feel good, you look good. I don’t have a problem with my age. I really don’t.”
For the 60th anniversary Legends photo shoot, Sports Illustrated also released three additional collectible swimsuit covers featuring 52 of the magazine’s icons from the past and present.
They assembled a group of power icons including Brooklyn Decker, Christie Brinkley, Kate Love, Leyna Bloom, Lily Aldridge, Martha Stewart, Maye Musk, Molly Sims, Paulina Porizkova, Tyra Banks and Winnie Harlow.
She said being with her peers, a group of icons, was “a fun experience from start to finish.”