Gayle King clears the air on ‘CBS Mornings’ exit rumors

“What I’m hearing in the building is not what I’m hearing in the press,” Gayle King says, addressing the rumors about her departure from CBS.

The rumor mill has been working overtime at CBS News, and this time, it’s spinning around the network’s morning mainstay, Gayle King.

On Thursday night, Variety dropped a bombshell, reporting that King “is expected to depart as an anchor of that program next year.” The outlet cited unnamed sources and quickly sent social media into a frenzy, with fans expressing collective disbelief at the thought of King leaving the show after 14 years. 

And apparently, King couldn’t believe it either. When TMZ caught up with her outside the CBS News studios, she made it clear she was just as surprised as everyone else.

“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 like the job and the people that I work with,” King told the outlet. “So I don’t know what to tell you, but 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. Not doing that.” 

CBS, for its part, quickly shot down the rumor mill’s latest offering. Responding to claims that King’s contract wouldn’t be renewed, a network spokesperson told Variety: “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.”

The reports come amid major upheaval at CBS News. Just this week, its parent company, Paramount, announced sweeping layoffs affecting nearly 100 CBS News employees, including the disbanding of the network’s race and culture unit. In total, roughly 1,000 jobs were cut across Paramount following its acquisition by Skydance Media.

The restructuring has raised big questions about the future of CBS’s news division, including whether CBS Saturday Morning will retain its name as it’s reportedly being folded into the weekday broadcast. Skydance has also made some eyebrow-raising leadership changes, reportedly bringing on Bari Weiss, founder of the conservative-leaning outlet The Free Press, as the new editor-in-chief of CBS News.

When asked about what’s next for CBS Mornings, King replied simply: “I have no idea. No idea. All I know is, I am here. I am here and glad to be here. I’m happy to see them, this gang.”

For now, we do know King is not leaving her spot on CBS Mornings anytime soon.