Who Is Gayle King's Son William Bumpus Jr.? Everything About Him As TV Personality Reveals Her ‘Favorite Son’ Is Engaged

Gayle King shared on her Instagram that her favorite son, Will Bumpus Jr. is engaged to Elise Smith, and Oprah Winfrey was the one who helped capture the proposal.

Published on Feb 28, 2024  |  06:01 PM IST |  154.2K
Gayle King and her son William Bumpus Jr
Exploring Who Gayle King's Son William Bumpus Jr. Is As He Gets Engaged (PC: Getty Images)

On Monday, the CBS Mornings anchor, Gayle King shared on Instagram that her son, William Bumpus Jr., is engaged to Elise Smith after he recently popped the question at a stunning location, where she and others were watching surreptitiously in the wings.

Who is William Bumpus Jr.?

William Bumpus Jr. is one of Gayle King’s two children with her ex-husband William Bumpus. He was born on April 28, 1987, in Greenwich, Connecticut.

He pursued higher education diligently, earning his bachelor’s degree from Duke University and later a master’s degree from Stanford University. Following his degree, he founded reWerk which according to their website "aims to create more equitable opportunities for students and communities of color."

As a founder, Bumpus Jr. oversees the company's business operations and helps reach partners and companies to donate to reWerk. In addition to his entrepreneurial ventures, he is also a partner at Concrete Rose Capital which emphasizes the necessity to close the racial wealth gap.

On February 26, 2024, his mom, Gayle King, shared that he got engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Elise Smith.

The famed TV host shared behind-the-scenes shots of the heartfelt proposal revealing that Oprah Winfrey helped orchestrate the big moment.


Gayle King announced her favorite son's engagement 

The CBS Mornings co-anchor, Gayle King announced on Monday in an Instagram post that her son got engaged. The post included a sweet video of King and her good friend Oprah Winfrey orchestrating the moment.

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“Behind the scenes of the proposal,” King said in the clip of her and Winfrey who was trying to find a good spot for the engagement photographer to hide and capture the moment.

Winfrey got very involved in the planning, putting herself in the photographer’s shoes as King asked her, “What’s your suggestion, Oprah, on where [the photographer] should be?”

After a few seconds of deliberation, the video pans to another King family member, the co-anchor’s other child, daughter Kirby Bumpus, and her 2-year-old grandson, Luca, who were also present for the special moment.

The post also included a clip of William Bumpus Jr. and Elise Smith, walking to the spot of the proposal, during which people in the background say, “Is it happening?”

Then, as Bumpus Jr. gets down on one knee, a chorus of gasps and “Oh, my God”s can be heard.

“It has happened! Favorite son @willgb3 has found his person,” King wrote in the caption, “and I now have a favorite daughter-in-law to be: The lovely @elisemariesmith!”

The CBS co-anchor also said that a lot of planning went into this moment  and also joked that “there were a lot of cooks in the kitchen.” “Now just waiting for the date of the wedding!” she added.


A brief insight on Gayle King's career

Before joining CBS News, Gayle King worked as a special correspondent for Good Morning America. In 2011, King secured a deal with CBS to co-anchor CBS This Morning. 

In 2018, King was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame. She was also chosen as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people of 2019.

In January 2022, King had extended her contract with CBS News to continue as co-anchor of CBS Mornings. On April 22, 2023, CNN announced that King will co-host with Charles Barkley on their weekly primetime show King Charles which will debut this fall. King will continue her role as co-anchor of CBS Mornings.

ALSO READ: Gayle King marks 12th anniversary as co-anchor at CBS Mornings; dons her iconic yellow dress to celebrate

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