Gayle King Graces ‘Sports Illustrated’ Swimsuit Issue At 69: “I Cannot Get Over It”
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Gayle King has added “model” to her résumé as she graced the 2024 cover of Sports Illustrated‘s swimsuit issue.
The CBS Mornings co-host, who turns 70 in December, was one of 27 legends called upon for the issue “who epitomize trailblazing influence and game-changing impact.” When King was asked to participate, she admittedly thought she was “being punk’d.”
“I thought, ‘Somebody’s playing a joke on me,'” the news anchor told Sports Illustrated. “To go from that to being called a Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit] Legend is so interesting. I said to [SI Swimsuit editor-in-chief] MJ [Day], ‘What makes me a Legend? How does that work?’ She proceeded to say, ‘Well, the job you do and the way you do your job. The confidence that you have at this particular stage in your life, you still really enjoy your job.’ I said, ‘Well, I’ll take that’ […] I’m embracing all of this. I will say that. I love this experience. I’m embracing it all.”
King gushed to PEOPLE about the honor, “It wasn’t something I dreamed about, but it was one of the highlights of all the things I’ve done because I never thought this would be possible.”
She was also surprised with her solo cover live on CBS Mornings on Tuesday (May 14).
“Ahhh! I’m on the cover,” King squealed. “They told me I was just going to be on the inside! It’s not a dummy cover? This is going to be on the newsstands? Oh my God! Oh my God! I’m floating, I’m floating, I can’t believe it. Never in my wildest dreams! Never, ever, ever.”
King praised the SI Swimsuit team for helping her feel comfortable, especially photographer Yu Tsai. “He made me feel like I was Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry all rolled into one,” she tells PEOPLE. “I felt so comfortable and cared for that I didn’t even have time to feel self-conscious.”
She also joked that she got a “personal lesson” on posing from Tyra Banks, who’s also featured in the issue.
For their 60th anniversary issue, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit will release four covers featuring King, Kate Upton, Hunter McGrady, and Chrissy Teigen. Other stars like Martha Stewart, Roshumba Williams, Jasmine Sanders, Winnie Harlow, and Chanel Iman, in her grand return, will also make appearances.
The 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue hits newsstands on Friday, May 17.
More from VIBE.com
