Gayle King has renewed her contract at CBS News after reports suggested she would depart the network amid its ongoing overhaul.
“Rumors of my demise were inaccurate and greatly exaggerated,” King said in a statement, per Variety, seeming to reference Mark Twain’s famous quote about death after reports swirled that she would depart the network.
“CBS News is my longtime home, and I am committed to our mission. I’m excited about continuing at ‘CBS Mornings,’” she continued. “As always, I’m open to new adventures here and ready to go. It took a minute, but we got there. And now that we are here, I am all in.”
King, 71, is considered to be CBS’s most recognizable face after hosting the network’s morning show for over a decade. Speculation that she would step down from her anchor role began to grow last fall amid the recent massive media overhaul brought on by Paramount’s corporate takeover following their $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media.
As the network was facing sweeping layoffs under CBS News’ new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, King addressed the rumors that she would be affected by the changes.
“I saw those rumors. What I say is this: ‘I’m not going to negotiate in the press,’” King said during a December 2025 episode of Sherri Shepherd’s talk show. “I hear one thing in the building and one thing outside of the building. I’ll be reading one thing, and I’m like, ‘that’s not true.’”
She continued: “I’ve decided I’m going to stay out of the drama — and there is some drama.”
King then acknowledged the changes that Weiss has already brought to the network, including Tony Doukoupil being promoted to anchor of CBS Evening News: “Tony’s promotion is certainly going to mean changes at CBS Mornings. There’s no question about that, so we shall see.”
Rumors about King’s potential departure began to swirl in October when Variety ran a report indicating she would leave the popular morning show and transition into a new role at the end of her contract in May 2026.
The publication reported that King’s salary is about $14 million per year, and that her staying on at CBS News could have a negative financial impact on the network as fallout from the merger continues.
Still, Weiss offered a statement of support as King’s new deal was announced.
“There is only one Gayle King. We’re so proud that she’ll continue to call CBS home,” Weiss said in a statement, per Variety. “We’re thrilled to have her on in the morning—and equally excited to work with her on new, enterprising projects that bring her talents to new audiences.”
