Gayle King is speaking out amid a report that she is set to depart CBS Mornings.
On Thursday, Variety reported that King could step down from her role as CBS Mornings anchor next year and take another role within the network. King has co-hosted CBS Mornings since 2012.
However, CBS News denied the report. A CBS News spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter, “There have been no discussions with Gayle about her contract that runs through May 2026. She’s a truly valued part of CBS and we look forward to engaging with her about the future.”
Now King is giving her perspective amid the speculation. While being interviewed by TMZ on Friday, King said, “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.”
“I don’t know what to tell you,” she added. “What i’m hearing in the building is not what I’m reading in the press. And what I’m not going to do is negotiate in the media.”
“All I know is I am here and glad to be here,” she reiterated.
Variety reported that King would likely stay within the news division and the network could potentially make a deal with King to produce her own programming. The report comes amid the news division being overhauled under the new Paramount Skydance deal. Earlier this month, Paramount announced that it officially acquired The Free Press, the digital publication founded by Bari Weiss. As a result, Weiss will become editor-in-chief of CBS News, but will work outside of the current org chart by reporting directly to Paramount CEO David Ellison.
“We are thrilled to welcome Bari and The Free Press to Paramount and CBS News. Bari is a proven champion of independent, principled journalism, and I am confident her entrepreneurial drive and editorial vision will invigorate CBS News. This move is part of Paramount’s bigger vision to modernize content and the way it connects — directly and passionately — to audiences around the world,” Ellison said in a statement.
Given King’s deal with CBS Mornings ends next year, there has been growing speculation about her future with the network. On Wednesday, Paramount layoffs hit CBS News, with a source saying that every corner of the news division has been impacted. Michelle Miller and Dana Jacobson, the co-anchors of the Saturday edition of the morning show, will exit the network as part of the cuts, THR has confirmed. Lisa Ling shared in an Instagram video posted on Thursday that she was one of several CBS correspondents and contributors that were let go from the network.
Following the hire of Weiss, CBS News had its first high-profile exit with John Dickerson, the co-anchor of the CBS Evening News, who announced that he will leave CBS News at the end of the year.
Alex Weprin contributed to this story.
