Oprah Winfrey & Gayle King on 46 Years of Friendship: "No Matter What, I’m Here for You" | PEOPLE

One of the biggest compliments. It's it happened to me just the other day coming through the airport to women said Gail. This is my Oprah. And so they always say I'm Oprah. I'm Gail. Vice versa. I always hear that. This is my gay. This is my Gail. Yeah, it's good. This is my Oprah. Yeah, I just think that's one of the biggest compliments. Anyway, I don't know of any other combo of women that people say that about. Yeah, I was just someplace the other day and somebody said this is my Gail too. Yeah, my Gail. Yeah, and I understand what that means. That means long-term standing in the gap. No matter what I'm here for you going to tell you the truth, even if you don't want to hear it. That's what that means. The real truth of our friendship relationship and Bond is that this was somebody who saw me and cared for the essence of who I am and I the same for her and she became my mother my sister my friend. She became all the things that I had never had. I never had a strong relationship with anybody in my family who I felt really cared for me really loved me who wanted to hear what was going on in my life. I mean, I can tell you in my entire life. I never call my mother or my father to tell them anything like I got a new job or I met a new guy or I got a car. I got none of that. So Gail served as my chosen family and the person who stood in the gap for me. I have to say I think that in the world of friendships. We've been friends now through 21 and 22 and 22 and we're 67 and 68. So let's know the other day Oprah. I said that went God 67 at 68. It feels it's a striking distance of 70. Yeah, I don't even look at it like that. Yeah, I don't because I said I think it's one. I still think it's one of having interviewed thousands of people over the years in friendships. I remember in the early days of the Oprah show when we have, you know, best friends sleeping with their friends husbands and Gail said to me if you ever see me if you come home and find me in bed with sediment. Don't be mad. Don't be mad because it means that I'm stone crazy that I've lost my mind. Don't even be mad. Don't be mad. Just help me get to bundle me up and take me to the hospital to the hospital right to the site because it would mean that I have totally lost my mind. We really haven't had a serious argument or a serious know where you're not speaking where you're not speaking. We've had some disagreements still don't agree on all things. But never like raising your voice or yelling calling each other names the whole idea of like calling somebody out of their name or saying, you know, rude things that you later regret. No, never been never been a part of this. I think over the years people because of the Oprah show and watching me every day with the audience. There is this misconception that I am a hugely extroverted person, but I really am not and I really am and she really is. I mean if there's a party, I'm the person who's in the corner usually by the shrimp bar. Here's Oprah in Chicago. They're having this exclusive party for Princess Diana. Oh, yeah. I remember that I called over and I said, what are you wearing and she goes I'm in the bed. I go you're not going you're not going she goes. No, I'm not going. No, I have a show tomorrow. I yeah, I have a show tomorrow. There are some things that I think it's worth staying up late on the school night and hanging out with in a in an event with Princess Diana would have certainly been one. You know, what was more important to me to go and have lunch with Princess Diana, which she gets it in Kintany Palace. Just the two of us. I am the person who wants a private lunch or a small day. I would like that too, but I would have gone to that damn party. I would have gone to lunch and the party. I did not do that. I do that. No, she did. Yeah, once there was a party like in my building in my building and Gail goes, I know you went to that building and I got well, I'm on the 57th. So I'm very famous. That was on the 76th floor. I'm not going. So no, I'm not the party girl in the building. I'm the opposite. I am somewhere, you know, I think the road trip that we took a good book with the road trip that we took is a perfect example. I am I am silently somewhere quiet still being with my thoughts and sometimes Gail will call and say, what are you doing sitting with your thoughts? Yes. So who rides in a car without music? I ask you America who rides in a car without music. There's some few of I offer exhibit a there's some few of us still. Yes, I have to turn down the music for merging. You're on a friggin road trip. You were supposed to have music. Okay, so she could ride side. I like being my silently with miles. And even now, if I by the way, nobody likes that. Nobody likes that. Well, nobody who works with you or is with you. Nobody likes it. People like to turn on the music. Well, they all act like they like. Well, they don't. Okay, they don't security. We like music you get out of the car. We crank it up. Oh, is that what happens when I get out of the car music? Okay, that's funny. Our life really isn't lights camera action. You would think it is but it really isn't know people say, what are you guys doing? We go kind of nothing. I mean, we just hang out and do nothing. Yeah, we like a good movie really like a good meal. We love talking about current events. Yeah, we are really into that and you know, every you know, for all the years of the Oprah show Gail would watch every single show. Yeah, one of my favorite stories is one day. I get a call. I'm in the middle of the meeting and I get a call and I say Gail needs to speak to you. It's an emergency and I get and I go. Can I go what happened? Are you okay? And she goes? No, I'm really not I have a black eye and I say what happened and she said your boobs were out and hit me on the screen. The screen jumped in the screen and hit me because your boobs are you were showing. So what are you thinking? What are you thinking? I got hit by one of your boobs. So anyway, but it was funny during the Oprah show people would call because I I'm a big TV watcher. I love television to this day. I do still love television. So Oprah would always call me Gail King eyewitnesses. What is Gail King eyewitnesses thing? I would call her say turn on the TV. OJ is on the run in the white Bronco or yep. That's how I heard about sad to say the Challenger has exploded. You should turn on the TV and see that this is happening. But she was saying, you know, the producers just pitched me an idea about a show called friends. Have you heard of it? I go. Yes, are you going to do something with them? And I said who and she said I think how many is it? I go you got all six of them. Yeah, I go. You should definitely do that. They're huge. So Gail was my you know, I am not I mean speaking of knowing you know, what's happening culturally who's aware of who's dating whom and who's going up this girl knows it all she can't touch me when it comes to that but I can't touch her when it comes to books. Yeah, so you name a book. Yeah, Oprah's heard of it read it knows it. Yeah, I may be going and I have to let that go because in our friendship, you know, one of the things I have is that if I ask you to read a book and you don't read it right away, I get a little I have an I always read the books when you when you say this is a really good book. Yeah, I do do that eventually. No, no. No, I read it pretty quickly. Okay early on when I started to you know, rise in popularity and get more money and things I would see that there were people who were jealous in little ways, you know, I remember we now call them haters. Yeah, I remember shopping once in somebody said, oh you're getting another black dress. Okay, so duly noted, but there's never been. Oh, you're getting another black dress moment from Gayle in any area. I mean it didn't matter what was happening. She would always be more excited for whatever was happening or what was showing up for me than I was I'd be like, well, it's okay. Well, I got invited to this. I mean, I'm going to the White House and people like, oh my God, so great. So having somebody who not only stands in the gap for you, but is happy for your happiness for 40 something years. I'm so very happy for happiness. And I think, you know, on the on the on the flip side. I always thought that I could trust her about anything. Her advice is always very good. She's a big I told you so person. If you don't take that advice, you will hear about it. It is a character flaw. You don't take the advice. You will hear about it.