At 69, Gayle King is showing us how it’s done.
According to People, King is gracing the 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover.
She turns 70 in a few months, but you wouldn’t think that from her photos.
“It wasn’t something I dreamed about, but it was one of the highlights of all the things I’ve done because I never thought this would be possible.”
King’s cover spot was revealed live on-air during a CBS Mornings segment on May 14, surprising her.
When King saw herself on the cover, she was ecstatic.
“Ahhh! 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!”
“I’m floating, I’m floating, I can’t believe it. Never in my wildest dreams! Never, ever, ever.”
MJ Day, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s Editor in Chief, was pleased to have Gayle King on the cover.
“Gayle King, a first-timer who, like her co-cover models, not so gently reminds us that women are limitless and control their destinies.”
Before The Shoot, Gayle King Consulted Her Family
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Before King accepted the shoot, she asked her family for their opinions.
“I consulted my kitchen cabinet, which is daughter, Kirby, son, Will and Oprah. And Oprah was like, ‘You and I have two very different ideas of fun always,’ but she said, ‘But it seems like something you would really enjoy.’ And Kirby and Will were like, ‘Go for it. Go for it.'”
For her cover photo, King dons a printed one-piece swimsuit.
“I wanted tasteful cleavage, and they delivered on all of that.”
Remarkably, King revealed she didn’t go on a crazy diet for the shoot.
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
Instead, she maintained her workout routine.
“The day before, I did have a cheeseburger. It’s one of my favorite things. I did think that I would reduce my eating, but I didn’t even do that.”
King enjoyed working with the SI Swimsuit team as they made her comfortable.
“I said to MJ, ‘God, now I’m going to have to start starving myself,’ and she said, ‘Absolutely do not do that. We don’t want you to change anything that you’re doing.’ I said, ‘Really? I don’t have to starve myself?’ and she said, ‘Please, we want you to do exactly what you’re doing.’ I said, ‘Well, is cottage cheese good on thighs?’ She goes, ‘Yes, Gayle. Actually, it is,’ because I was very worried about that.”
During the shoot, photographer Yu Tsai hyped up Gayle King until she felt like the world’s most attractive woman.
“He made me feel like I was 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.”
To celebrate its 60th Anniversary Legends shoot, the outlet enlisted Gayle King along with:
- Brooklyn Decker
- Christie Brinkley
- Kate Love
- Leyna Bloom
- Lily Aldridge
- Martha Stewart
- Maye Musk
- Molly Sims
- Paulina Porizkova
- Tyra Banks
- Winnie Harlow
Naturally, Gayle King was pleased to be in the same room with so many stars.
“You realize when you’re around models who know what the hell they’re doing, it really does require a different kind of skill set — you can tell the difference between their poses and mine. Theirs are so natural. Tyra, by the way, was showing me how to pose. I liked having a personal lesson from Tyra Banks.”
King is pleased that brands like Sports Illustrated Swimsuit encourage different generations to embrace their inner confidence fully.
“We all know that beauty comes from within, but I also know people see you first with their eyes. I think looking good and feeling good matters. But I also think when you feel good, you look good. I don’t have hang-ups about my age. I really don’t.”
