Gayle King is fed up with people constantly inquiring about Oprah Winfrey's health.
In a lighthearted response to the barrage of inquiries about her best friend, the CBS Mornings anchor took to Instagram on Wednesday, sporting a black T-shirt with a clear message: "Oprah is fine! Thank you for asking. She appreciates your concern!"
The 69-year-old journalist found herself at the center of a firestorm after candidly discussing Winfrey's absence from CBS Mornings on Tuesday.
While kicking off the Oprah's Book Club segment, King explained to author David Wroblewski why Winfrey -- who is usually in the studio to celebrate her pick -- missed the moment to speak about his book, Familiaris.
"I'm so glad you are here and I'm so sorry that Oprah can't," King told Wroblewski. "Yesterday she said, 'I'm gonna rally, I'm gonna rally.' She had some kind of stomach flu where stuff was coming out of both ends."
Gayle King
King's co-hosts, Nate Burleson and Tony Dokoupil, both audibly reacted to the news.
"I won't get too graphic," King continued. "But needless to say, she ended up in the hospital [for] dehydration and had to get an IV. It was a very serious thing. She's OK... she will be OK."
Noticing that she may have shared too much information, King reiterated how much her pal wanted to be there to celebrate the author.
"I hope she's not mad at me for sharing that detail," King added. "I wanted to make it clear though it mattered to her and it really bothered her that she couldn't be here today, but we will pick up the slack."
To quell worries, King shared a video call with Winfrey hours after the broadcast. The conversation revealed that Winfrey wasn't upset about King's oversharing, explaining, "I was too weak to get on the plane." Winfrey also provided an update on her condition: "I'm not 100, I'm on my way to a 100. Five people in my household had the same thing."
King's frustration peaked when "10 people" in her office continued to inquire about Winfrey's well-being, despite the updates. Hence, the birth of the now-viral T-shirt — a fun, yet pointed way for King to express her exasperation while assuring everyone that her BFF of 48 years is on the mend.
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