CBS Mornings’ Gayle King, 69, makes her first appearance as a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover star
It’s that time of year again—the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue has arrived, and this year, four models grace the covers.
Three of the models—Kate Upton, Hunter McGrady, and Chrissy Teigen—are veterans of the issue, while the fourth is a newcomer who, at 69, used her photoshoot to show that age is just a number.
When CBS Mornings’ Gayle King was invited to be part of the 60th anniversary Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, she initially thought she was being pranked.
“This wasn’t something I had ever envisioned,” King told People, “but it turned out to be one of the most memorable highlights of my career, as I never thought it was within reach.”
Before agreeing, King sought advice from her trusted circle.
“I consulted my ‘kitchen cabinet,’ which includes my daughter Kirby, my son Will, and Oprah,” King explained. “Oprah said, ‘You and I have very different definitions of fun,’ but she added, ‘It seems like something you’d really enjoy.’ Both Kirby and Will told me to go for it.”
Once she decided to go through with the photoshoot she set a few ground rules. She wasn’t going to starve herself and she didn’t want any retouching of her photos, except for “a few dimples on her thighs.”
“My grandmother said to me [when I was little], ‘Mother nature was not as kind to you as she was to other little girls. Maybe you need to start wearing makeup.’ I just never saw myself this way.”
She added, “I know what I look like before I go into hair and makeup, so it’s hard for me to go from that to [the cover]. That’s something I have to process myself.”
King had nothing to worry about.
When she arrived at the photo shoot in Mexico, she said photographer Yu Tsai made her feel like “Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry all rolled into one.”
“I felt so comfortable and cared for that I didn’t even have time to feel self-conscious.”
“I never in a million years thought I would be standing here in a bathing suit for Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit], but here I am, which says to me that sometimes people can dream, God can dream, the universe can dream a bigger dream than you can ever think for yourself,” King told Sports Illustrated. “I would have never thought this was possible. This was nowhere on my bucket list. So I’m thinking maybe it was a dream that I didn’t even know I wanted because now that I’m here, I want it bad.”
Gayle looks amazing! I think it’s wonderful how Sports Illustrated showcases all different ages, body types, and races in their issue. We’re not all the same, and everyone deserves to be represented.
