Did CBS Gatekeeper Gayle King Approve Archenemy Bill Cosby's First Post-Prison Interview From Home?
Bill Cosby has slammed Gayle King in the past -- but did the CBS News host put their beef aside to score the disgraced comedian's first at-home interview on the day he was released from prison?
RadarOnline.com has learned CBS morning show anchor Jericka Duncan's with Cosby on Wednesday couldn't have happened without Oprah Winfrey's bestie stamping her seal of approval.
"This wouldn’t have happened without Gayle King's approval," our insider said, adding that Gayle is the gatekeeper of everything news at the network.
Duncan's interview with Cosby was the first, and only, one from inside his home.
The CBS reporter was told she was "not allowed" to record their conversation but said their chat happened inside Cosby's bedroom with the comedian sitting in bed.
"He was clearly excited to be home. He was overjoyed," Duncan said of their five-minute interview. "He said he felt vindicated."
It's an interesting decision for Cosby to let CBS be the first network to interview him from home considering his hatred for Gayle.
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Last year, the 83-year-old Cosby Show alum called out Gayle when she harped on Kobe Bryant's 2003 sexual assault charge weeks after his death.
The legendary Lakers player died suddenly when the helicopter he was riding in crashed on January 26, 2020. Eight others were killed in the accident, including Kobe's 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant.
When Gayle asked WNBA star Lisa Leslie if Kobe's sexual assault charge stained his legacy, she set off a firestorm of responses.
Many weren't happy with the CBS anchor's decision to bring up Kobe's past after his death. Cosby was among those who spoke out, shamming Gayle.
“It’s so sad and disappointing that successful Black Women are being used to tarnish the image and legacy of successful Black Men, even in death,” Cosby tweeted from behind bars.
“Are these people that are in need of fame, ratings and/or money? On behalf of myself, Camille and my family, thank you, thank you and thank you. My heartfelt prayers are with Kobe and his family, as well as with Michael Jackson and his family. May their legacies live on forever," he added.
In response, Gayle slammed her network for the “out-of-context” clip and blamed it on editing.
“I’ve been up reading the comments about the interview I did with Lisa Leslie about Kobe Bryant, and I know that if I had only seen the clip that you saw, I’d be extremely angry with me too,” Gayle said via Instagram. “I am mortified. I am embarrassed and I am very angry.”