In a heartfelt statement, William Bumpus, ex-husband of journalist Gayle King, has publicly apologized following King’s revelation about catching him cheating decades ago.

King, 71, shared the story on the Call Her Daddy podcast May 27, recalling the moment she returned home from a canceled flight only to find Bumpus in a compromising situation with one of her friends. “He comes flying out of the room. He’s got a towel on and he goes, ‘You can’t come in,’” King recounted. “What do you mean I can’t come in? What are you talking about?” She said she had her nanny remove the children to spare them from witnessing the betrayal.

Bumpus responded with a statement to TMZ and Page Six, saying, “My deepest apologies to Gayle, to our daughter Kirby and her husband Virgil, to our son William and his wife Elise, and to our three grandchildren for the pain I caused decades ago. Those actions were mine. I have long owned them — including publicly in 2016, which still stands.”

He continued, emphasizing respect for King’s right to share her story. “Gayle has every right to share what was a painful chapter that changed the trajectory of our marriage and our family nearly 40 years ago. I respect her right to tell her story, and that’s where I’ll leave it,” Bumpus added.

Gayle King with her children, Kirby Bumpus and William Bumpus, Jr. at the Time 100 Gala in 2019.

Reflecting on their past, Bumpus also expressed gratitude to King for co-parenting and supporting him through his Yale Law degree. “The love and camaraderie we forged in that work have carried us all these years,” he said. He praised their ongoing commitment to family, noting that King recently sent warm birthday wishes to his teenage daughter Poet.

King and Bumpus, married from 1982 to 1993, eventually parted ways after King realized the toll the marriage was taking on her sense of self. “I didn’t like who I was. Who wants to live like that? I didn’t want to be that person,” she said.

Bumpus, now reflecting on his past mistakes, said he continues to focus on family, clients, and personal growth. “I continue to work at being the best version of myself,” he concluded.

Despite the pain of the past, the former couple seems to have reached a place of mutual respect — a testament to the years they spent building a family together.