These Moments Between Gayle and Her Kids Prove She’s the Ultimate Mom
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Gayle King is a lot of things: an Emmy-winning journalist, the cohost of CBS Mornings, and the honoree of the 39th Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism. Oh, and she's also Oprah’s longtime best friend.
But if there’s one thing our editor at large seems to be the most proud of, it’s being a mother to her two children, Kirby Bumpus and Will Bumpus, Jr. Take one look at her Instagram and it’s abundantly clear that she adores the her kids (whom she shares with ex-husband William Bumpus), affectionately calling them her “favorite daughter” and “favorite son.” Her account is peppered with handfuls of photos of showing the trio enjoying plenty of quality time together—and now they always include Gayle’s adorable “favorite grandson,” Luca, in the family fun as well.
In a 2006 interview in O, The Oprah Magazine, Oprah opened up about Gayle’s role as a mom: “But what I love is that even as a working-outside-the-home mom, she was always there to put her kids to bed. She said, ‘I want my face to be the first face my kids see when they wake up and the last thing they see at night,’” Oprah said. “I admire a lot of things about Gayle. But when I think about the way she raised her kids, that makes me weepy.”
We may be shedding a few tears over here, too. To honor their bond, we’ve taken a look at some of our favorite moments between the seemingly inseparable family.
When Gayle’s son, Will, got engaged.
Most recently, Gayle’s favorite son Will got engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Elise Smith. While the engagement happened back in December 2023, Gayle waited until the following February to share the sweet details, including some iconic behind-the-scenes moments showing how everyone in the family (Oprah included!) helped plan out the special moment.
In her Instagram post, Gayle wrote, “It has happened! Favorite son @willgb3 has found his person and I now have a favorite daughter-in-law to be: The lovely @elisemariesmith! There were a lot of cooks in the kitchen and a lot of planning went into this moment, so here's some behind the scenes... now just waiting for the date of the wedding!”
When Luca, Gayle’s first grandchild, was born.
In the fall of 2021, Kirby and her husband, Virgil, welcomed their first child together, a son named Luca. Gayle made the announcement on CBS Mornings that September. “I’ve wanted to be a grandmother for a long time, and it’s really something when you see your own child become a parent,” she said.
In the following months, Gayle and Kirby also recreated an endearing childhood photo.
“Mom and I had to recreate this pic of my Grammy, my mom and I shortly after coming home from the hospital in 1986,” Kirby gushed in an Instagram post. “I’m so grateful for these invaluable moments I’ve had with my mom over the last few weeks and get all the feels when I think about our new dynamic, along with Luca’s growing love and relationship with his Gaia as he grows up!”
When Gayle’s daughter, Kirby, got married in 2020.
Kirby and Virgil were married in December 2020 at Oprah’s home in Santa Barbara. Gayle chose to reveal the news to Oprah Daily a few months later, in February 2021. With Covid-19 protocols still in place, the wedding was definitely different than expected (namely, more socially distanced), but Gayle still described it an “absolutely perfect” event.
Though it wasn’t planned, Kirby’s brother and Gayle's favorite son, Will, ended up taking on the role of officiant. “No one understands Kirby quite like her brother,” Gayle reflected. Following the heartfelt exchange of vows, the family—Oprah included—indulged in some socially distant hors d’oeuvres, cake, and dancing.
“Kirby really is so happy,” Gayle says, “and nothing beats when your children are happy.”
When Gayle first announced Kirby’s engagement.
Of course, before the wedding day, the family celebrated Kirby and Virgil's engagement. In February 2019, Gayle shared the happy news that her “favorite daughter” was officially engaged, announcing that she and Will surprised Kirby right after the proposal. In the snap, you see their surprised faces as the new fiancée shows off a beautiful sparkler—see even more in Gayle’s Instagram post here.
When she celebrated Will’s birthday at Red Lobster.
One of the many sweet family traditions Gayle has with her kids involves Red Lobster—no, really, it’s their go-to restaurant to celebrate Will’s birthday. As Gayle has explained, since Will was in grade school, they’ve blown out his birthday candles at Red Lobster. The main attraction? According to Gayle, he can’t get enough of the restaurant’s delicious signature cheddar biscuits.
When they celebrate the important milestones.
Whether it’s holiday season, birthdays, engagements, weddings, or more, this trio always has each other’s back. Recently, Kirby’s son, Luca, celebrated an important one of his own—his second birthday, and the family, including Kirby, Virgil, Will, and Gayle’s fave niece Mekenzye, all got together to celebrate.
“Livin’ la vida LUCA!” Gayle wrote in an Instagram post. “Last pix his Halloween costume.. any idea what he is?”
When they go to concerts together.
We all need someone to jam out with. Gayle, Kirby, and Will love to go to concerts together—and will usually run into a few friends there, too.
Of course, we can't forget about Gayle and fave son Will's iconic Harry Styles moment, either:
When Gayle shared throwback photos with Kirby and Oprah.
Who doesn't love a great vintage pic? In honor of Oprah birthday in January 2018, our editor at large shared this sweet throwback snap of her, Oprah, and an adorable tiny Kirby.
When the family revealed the fun way they stay connected.
During a vacation to New Jersey for the weekend, Gayle shared on Instagram that she and her children stay in touch with a modern method: daily selfies. In the post, she included each of their individual close-ups. Seems like a good idea to us, right?
When Gayle and the kids get in the holiday spirit.
Gayle and her children often spend the holidays with Oprah and Stedman, along with other friends and family members. And thankfully, Gayle often posts snaps of her holiday celebrations on Instagram for us all to enjoy. In 2023, Gayle shared photos of the family's "purple" Christmas in honor of The Color Purple, which arrived in theaters on Christmas Day. Just a few days later, Gayle and her entire family rang in 2024 wearing glam outfits, complete with 2024 glasses to welcome the new year.
When Will and Kirby support their mom’s career accomplishments.
Back in October 2018, Gayle was officially inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame, a recognition that honored her decades-long career and accomplishments in journalism. And who was by her side? None other than Will and Kirby.
"'Bout last nite.. yep [sic] this really happened induction into the Broadcasting & Cable hall of Fame! WOW... all my favorite people were there... thank YOU favorite people swipe left... to see “errrrebody”," she wrote.
The two also accompanied their mother at the Time 100 Most Influential gala, since Gayle was recognized as one of the list's key figures.
When they take us along on their traveling adventures.
The threesome seem to always be on the go, exploring the world and taking the most adorable snaps. Whether they're getting "touristy" in the city of Tulum, Mexico, spending Thanksgiving in Puerto Rico, or living it up at the Global Citizen Festival in South Africa, Gayle and her crew take some dreamy vacations. (Can we come, too?)
"A family that walks TOGETHER & does corny touristy things looks good together," Gayle wrote in a caption.
We can't argue with that.
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