Oprah speaks out on threats against Gayle King over Kobe Bryant’s rape case

Oprah Winfrey got very emotional when she spoke up about her close friend Gayle King. The television personality and entertainment mogul revealed that King “is not doing well” as she faces backlash for asking a WNBA star about Kobe Bryant’s rape case from 2003. This came in the wake of Bryant’s sudden death last month.

In an interview with Today, Winfrey began to tear up as she spoke to the show’s hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager on Friday. “She has now death threats and has to now travel with security and she’s feeling very much attacked.”

The Oprah Winfrey Network founder was asked how the CBS broadcast journalist was doing. This came after King called out her network for posting what she says is a “salacious” and “out of context” clip of her interview with Lisa Leslie on CBS This Morning. Leslie was invited to the show and asked about Bryant’s basketball legacy and where his Colorado sexual assault case comes into play.

According to Winfrey, King “feels that she was put in a really terrible position.”

“In the context of the interview, everyone seemed fine, including Lisa Leslie. And it was only because somebody at the network put up that clip. And I can see how people would obviously be very upset if you thought that Gayle was just trying to press to get an answer from Lisa Leslie,” the television personality explained. “Obviously all things pass, she will be okay, but she hasn’t slept in two days.