Gayle King Shocked To Learn She Made The Cover Of ‘Sports Illustrated’ At 69, Says Of Her Classy Swimsuit: ‘I Wanted Tasteful Cleavage’

Gayle King Shocked To Learn She Made The Cover Of ‘Sports Illustrated’ At 69, Says Of Her Classy Swimsuit: ‘I Wanted Tasteful Cleavage’

Gayle King got the surprise of a lifetime this morning (May 14). The 69-year-old was shocked to learn that she was selected to be on the cover of the 60th Anniversary of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue.

Reacting to the salute, the CBS Mornings co-host said,

“Ahh, I’m on the cover. 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?”

SURPRISE: Our very own @GayleKing is one of this year’s @SI_Swimsuit cover stars!

Gayle reacts to seeing her cover for the very first time: “I cannot get over it.” pic.twitter.com/soZqftmYnu

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) May 14, 2024

During the surprise, Gayle King revealed why she thought she would never have an opportunity to grace the cover.

“Growing up, my Grandmother said to me ‘ Mother Nature was not as kind to you as she was to other little girls. Maybe you need to start wearing makeup like your friend ‘Ofrey’ [Oprah].’’ 

Gayle King, who turns 70 this year, said she thought she was being “punked” when asked to be inside the issue, telling People Magazine,

“This was one of the highlights of all the things I’ve done because I never thought this would be possible.” 

King went on to continue to live in her joy. 

“I’m floating. I’m floating. I can’t believe it. Never in my wildest dreams.” 

Hello, cover girl!@DrewBarrymore, @helloross, @TonyDokoupil, and @NateBurleson react to @GayleKing’s @SI_Swimsuit cover: “It is a moment of true empowerment.” pic.twitter.com/AaPg8bQOC8

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) May 14, 2024

Though she was pleasantly surprised by the honor, King said that she consulted with her family and best friend Oprah Winfrey before signing on to the photoshoot. She also says that she ate a cheeseburger the day before shooting.

“I didn’t go crazy dieting and maintained my regular exercise routine including cardio and strength training.” 

On the cover, King Wears an Evarae one-piece swimsuit and cover-up. 

“I wanted tasteful cleavage, and they delivered all of that.”

For Oprah Daily Magazine, King took followers on a quick behind-the-scenes view of her shoot.

She confessed,

“This was nowhere on my bucket list. Maybe this is a dream I never knew I wanted, but now that I am here. I want it bad.“

 

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A post shared by Oprah Daily (@oprahdaily)

Last year Martha Stewert became the oldest person to pose for the magazine’s Swimsuit Issue at 81 years old.

 

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A post shared by Martha Stewart (@marthastewart)

How do you like Gayle King’s cover? Comment and let us know.

[VIA. 1]