Gayle King Speaks After Renewing CBS Contract: ‘Rumors Of My Demise Were Greatly Exaggerated’

"CBS News is my longtime home, and I am committed to our mission," King said in a statement.

Gayle King is pushing back on what she calls “greatly exaggerated” rumors about her future at CBS following the renewal of her contract.

On March 4, a source confirmed that King will remain on CBS Mornings for the foreseeable future under a newly signed deal with CBS News, Variety reports. The update comes as CBS News struggles after the Paramount-Skydance restructuring.

“Rumors of my demise were inaccurate and greatly exaggerated,” King said in a statement. “CBS News is my longtime home, and I am committed to our mission. I’m excited about continuing at CBS Mornings. As always, I’m open to new adventures here and ready to go. It took a minute, but we got there. And now that we are here, I am all in.”

King, 71, remains one of CBS’s most recognizable figures after more than a decade hosting CBS Mornings. Rumors about her possible departure surfaced last fall amid sweeping changes tied to Paramount Global’s $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media and widespread newsroom layoffs under new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.

Speculation intensified after an October 2025 report suggested King could leave the show and move into a new role when her contract expired in May 2026, citing her reported $14 million annual salary and the network’s financial pressures following the merger.

During a December 2025 appearance on Sherri, King acknowledged the shakeups underway at CBS News, including Tony Dokoupil’s promotion to anchor of CBS Evening News.

“Tony’s promotion is certainly going to mean changes at CBS Mornings. There’s no question about that, so we shall see,” she said at the time.

Despite the rumors, Weiss publicly voiced support for King as news of her new deal was announced.

“There is only one Gayle King. We’re so proud that she’ll continue to call CBS home,” Weiss said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to have her on in the morning—and equally excited to work with her on new, enterprising projects that bring her talents to new audiences.”