Having friends in high places can be valuable, but having the right friends is priceless—Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King are prime examples of this.
The two met in 1976 while starting their media careers at a Baltimore news station. Their genuine connection and unwavering support for each other fostered a lasting friendship that both have credited with boosting their career success.
“She fills a role for me that is as solid as mothering or sistering or anything could be,” Winfrey said of King on Melinda French Gates’ Moments that Make Us.
The billionaire media mogul remembers being 30 and hesitant to move to Chicago to launch her talk show and compete with Phil Donahue, who was then dominating the talk show landscape.
“Gayle was the only person who said, ‘I think you could do it,’” she said. “Had I not had somebody who believed that me moving to Chicago could be successful, I might have not made the move.”
Forty years later, Winfrey continues to be grateful for King’s unwavering support of her career choices.
“The reasons why I think our friendship has worked is because Gayle is happier—not happy but happier—for me, for any kind of success or victory or challenge I get through than I am for myself,” she shared.
King shares the same sentiment about Winfrey, crediting the OWN founder for her role at CBS and attending the Met Gala.
“I wouldn’t dream of [making a big decision] without getting Oprah’s take,” King said.
French Gates revealed that she prioritizes time with her three closest female friends by reserving spots on her calendar for their Monday morning walks together.
“I’ve been incredibly lucky to have three female friends now for over 30 years,” French Gates shared. “They are my truth counsel. Whenever I’m going to make a really hard decision or make a big transition, I know I have to have the courage to tell them, and they’re honest with me.”
“They’re your kitchen cabinet,” Winfrey added.
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