The State Of Oprah Winfrey And Gayle King's Decades-Long Friendship In 2023

Finding meaningful friendships isn't easy, and when you do find that lifelong friend, you'll want to hold on to them and keep them close. Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King are the definitions of bestie goals with their decades-long friendship that many fans admire. And interestingly, Oprah and Gayle's chance meeting seems like it may have been fate.

The close-knit pair have been friends for 47 years, with a sudden turn of the weather leading the two to unexpectedly form their close connection. While the duo both worked at WJZ-TV in Baltimore, Winfrey as a news anchor and King as a production assistant and writer, Winfrey offered King a place to stay for the night as a heavy snowstorm was forecasted. Per People, Winfrey didn't want to leave King stranded with no place to stay.

"We ended up talking all night long ... We've literally been friends ever since" Winfrey recalled to People. Since then, they have been inseparable.

The two instantly clicked and connected with each other through their similarities. Gayle King told O, The Oprah Magazine: "For the first time, I met somebody who I felt was like me. I'd never met anybody like that. Certainly not another black girl" (via Oprah Daily). While they bonded over their common experiences, the two do share differences that set them apart as well. According to People, King is an extrovert while Winfrey is more introverted. 

Despite the fact that those 47 years have seen Oprah and Gayle transform into completely different people, they are grateful for their friendship and openly express their gratitude for each other. "Something about this relationship feels otherworldly to me, like it was designed by a power and a hand greater than my own. Whatever this friendship is, it's been a very fun ride — and we've taken it together" Oprah said in the August 2006 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine (via Oprah Daily).

Per People, the besties are so close that Winfrey claims they've never had a serious argument before.

Today, their friendship remains as strong as ever, and the two aren't just best friends but are also travel companions too. The duo jet-setted together to visit Jordan for a weeklong adventure after wanting to visit for years (via Oprah Daily). Oprah Winfrey shared a series of Instagram photos of the trip and captioned it, "Visited Jordan this week and there was so much to see and experience!"  The two friends were pictured riding camels and exploring historic sights together. Gayle King also shared a snippet of the duo's trip, showing a video of herself getting a Dead Sea float and mud bath and joking in the caption, "Oprah often tells me we have different ideas of fun ... but in the end a great time was had by all..."

Winfrey and King have traveled together several times throughout their friendship and previously traveled to Italy along with King's daughter, Kirby, Ava DuVernay, and their friend Urania for an unforgettable girls' wellness trip.