Gayle King is under a lot of pressure amid speculation she’s leaving CBS when her contract is up in May. The talk show host found relief by kissing a slimy creature for “good luck.” But fans weren’t having the “gross” behavior. Keep reading for more details and to see the proof!
CBS Reportedly Looking To Dump Gayle King
Gayle King was as shocked as everyone in October 2025 when news broke that CBS didn’t plan on renewing her contract. Her current contract with the network ends in May 2026. She reportedly signed a one-year extension in 2025 to keep her on the air. The move allegedly came with a hefty pay cut.
Now, sources claim that CBS is again looking to reduce Gayle King’s pay and possibly her role within the news division. The new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, is reportedly wooing Hoda Kotb to take over CBS Mornings. Despite leaving the Today Show in January 2025, Hoda Kotb is still under contract with NBC.
The latest report regarding Gayle King’s future with CBS claimed that the popular host will either take a reduced role or take a pay cut. The CBS Mornings host hasn’t really said much about the rumors.
“There have been no discussions with Gayle about her contract that runs through May 2026. She’s a truly valued part of CBS and we look forward to engaging with her about the future,” CBS said in a statement.
Gayle King Kisses Slimy Creature For ‘Good Luck’ Amid CBS Drama
Gayle King took a break from the drama from her job in New York City with a trip to Grand Cayman with her sister. While there, they visited Stingray City, a popular tourist destination where visitors can interact with Stingrays in their natural habitat.
That, apparently, includes kissing the slimy creatures. Gayle King took to Instagram to share a video of her “good luck” charm. At the start of the video, a tour guide advises tourists that kissing stingrays “without tongue” can bring seven years of good luck.
The CBS Mornings host was more than happy to pucker up, more than once. “Rumor has it that you get good luck for seven years if you kiss a stingray—so I kissed that sucker twice! Hope this really works,” she captioned the post.
Fans Blast ‘Gross’ Behavior
Many of Gayle King’s followers wished her good luck or found the stingray interaction funny. However, some took to the comments to blast her for the “gross” behavior.
- “Why are you doing that? Good God, leave nature alone! They’re not here for your entertainment!”
- “Gross …. Leave them alone , “ kissing “ them upsets the natural bacteria’s on their skin”
- “imagine the germs and viruses WE are spreading into their world!! Get the **** over yourselves”
- “Not a good idea remember what happened to Mr. Irwin he was in the water and the stingray let his barb (? ) out and he died”
Stingray City has warnings and guidelines for interacting with the slimy creatures. Tourists are told to only lightly kiss the stingrays on their snout and avoid touching more delicate areas, including their tails, where they hold their venomous barbs.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
