Alert – Gayle King reveals ‘so many women’ all said the same thing to her after stripping down to her swimsuit at 69 for Sports Illustrated

Gayle King revealed a lot of people reached out to her after she posed for the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue recently.

The CBS Mornings co-host said that after she stripped down at age 69 for the recent issue, which was unveiled in May, ‘so many women’ told her the same thing.

‘I’ve had so many women come up to me and say, “That was so brave,”‘ she told People at the Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program on Tuesday.

The television personality — who was left at a lost for words after Halle Berry made an unfiltered remark about her vagina on her daytime talk show — said she was just ‘really happy’ to be included in the magazine and was ‘thrilled’ when she learned she had been chosen for a solo cover. 

‘Was it brave? I was just excited. That’s what it was for me,’ she said. ‘To show you that it’s 69 and feeling really fine.’ 

Gayle King revealed a lot of people reached out to her after she posed for the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue recently. The CBS Mornings co-host said that after she stripped down at age 69 for the recent issue, which was unveiled in May, ‘so many women’ told her the same thing

‘Talk about stepping outside of your box,’ she added.

‘Honest to God, when they called me, I thought I was being punked,’ she recalled about finding out they wanted her to cover the latest issue. 

‘I did,’ she continued. ‘I thought I was being punked.’

King also said she never even dreamed about covering the magazine as she thought it would be impossible.

She previously told People after the magazine issue hit the stands and said: ‘It wasn’t something I dreamed about.’

She added: ‘But it was one of the highlights of all the things I’ve done because I never thought this would be possible.’

In addition to King, Kate Upton, Hunter McGrady and Chrissy Teigen also posed for solo covers for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue of 2024. 

On May 14, when her fellow cover stars handed her an issue on air while filming CBS Mornings, King screamed with excitement. 

‘I’ve had so many women come up to me and say, “That was so brave”,’ she said. ‘Was it brave? I was just excited. That’s what it was for me,’ she said. ‘To show you that it’s 69 and feeling really fine’

King also said she never even dreamed about covering the magazine as she thought it would be impossible

‘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? Oh my God! Oh my God!’ 

The broadcast journalist continued: ‘I’m floating, I’m floating. I can’t believe it! Never in my wildest dreams! Never, ever, ever.’ 

On the cover, King wore a printed one-piece swimsuit and coverup from Evarae. 

‘I wanted tasteful cleavage, and they delivered on all of that,’ she said about the swimsuits she wore for the shoot.

She also said she did not do any intense dieting and maintained her regular exercise routine for the photoshoot.

‘The day before, I did have a cheeseburger,” she shared. ‘It’s one of my favorite things. I did think that I would reduce my eating, but I didn’t even do that.’

She also said she was grateful she could help encourage future generations to embrace their inner confidence.

‘We all know that beauty comes from within, but I also know people see you first with their eyes,’ she told the outlet. 

In addition to King, Kate Upton, Hunter McGrady and Chrissy Teigen also posed for solo covers for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue of 2024; pictured February in Los Angeles

On the cover, King wore a printed one-piece swimsuit and coverup from Evarae. She also said she did not do any intense dieting and maintained her regular exercise routine for the photoshoot; pictured February in Los Angeles

‘I think looking good and feeling good matters,’ she said. ‘But I also think when you feel good, you look good. I don’t have hang-ups about my age. I really don’t.’

For the 60th Anniversary Legends shoot, Sports Illustrated also launched three additional collectible swimsuit covers with 52 of the magazine’s past and present icons.  

They brought togethera group of power icons including Brooklyn Decker, Christie Brinkley, Kate Love, Leyna Bloom, Lily Aldridge, Martha Stewart, Maye Musk, Molly Sims, Paulina Porizkova, Tyra Banks and Winnie Harlow. 

About being in the same room as her peers, a group of icons, she said it was ‘a fun experience from beginning to end.’