William Bumpus is best known publicly as the former husband of television journalist Gayle King, but his own life extends far beyond that famous marriage. He is a longtime attorney with experience in family law, child-protection cases, government service, higher education, and law enforcement. He and King married in 1982, welcomed two children, Kirby and William Jr., and divorced in 1993.
Interest in Bumpus increased again in 2026 after King discussed the breakdown of their marriage during a podcast appearance. Bumpus responded publicly, acknowledged his past actions, and said he respected her right to discuss what happened.
Yet focusing only on their difficult divorce misses much of his story. Bumpus earned a law degree from Yale, worked in Connecticut’s legal system, taught at a university, and remained involved in the lives of the children he shares with King.
Who Is William Bumpus?
William Bumpus is an American attorney and the former husband of Gayle King.
Unlike King, who eventually became one of the most recognizable television journalists in America, Bumpus spent most of his professional life working away from national media attention.
His career has included work as an assistant state’s attorney and an assistant attorney general in Connecticut. He has also handled family-law and child-protection matters.
Bumpus has additionally worked in education.
Professional profiles cited in recent reporting say he served as an adjunct professor and associate dean at Central Connecticut State University. Earlier in his career, he also worked as a police officer in Kansas City, Missouri.
This makes his professional background considerably broader than the simple label “Gayle King’s ex-husband” suggests.
What Is William Bumpus’ Full Name?
IMDb identifies him as William Grant Bumpus Jr. in its record of Gayle King’s marriage.
Other media reports generally shorten his name to William Bumpus.
His son is commonly known as William Bumpus Jr. or Will Bumpus, which can sometimes cause confusion when searching online because father and son have very similar names.
The older William Bumpus discussed here is the attorney who was married to Gayle King from 1982 until 1993.
When Was William Bumpus Born?
William Bumpus’ exact date of birth is not firmly established by the strongest public sources.
Many small biography websites publish an age or birth year for him, but those figures are often repeated without showing an original public record.
For that reason, it is better not to present a precise birthday as confirmed.
This is one area where Bumpus differs greatly from his famous former wife.
King’s life has been documented extensively because of her decades in broadcasting. Bumpus has generally remained a private professional, meaning basic details about his childhood and family background are less widely documented.
Where Did William Bumpus Go to College?
Bumpus studied at Central Connecticut State University.
Recent reporting based on his professional biography says he received a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the university in 1984.
He later attended Yale Law School, graduating in 1988.
That educational path eventually led him into a long legal career.
Interestingly, Bumpus later returned to Central Connecticut State University in a professional capacity, working as an adjunct professor and associate dean.
His relationship with the university therefore extended beyond simply being a former student.
Did William Bumpus Really Graduate From Yale Law School?
Yes.
Multiple current profiles identify Bumpus as a graduate of Yale Law School.
He reportedly graduated in 1988.
Yale’s law school is one of the most prominent legal institutions in the United States, and the degree helped prepare Bumpus for a career that would include government and private legal work.
A natural related topic would be Gayle King’s life before CBS Mornings and how she built her broadcasting career.
Was William Bumpus a Police Officer?
Yes, according to his professional biography cited by recent media profiles.
Before or during the earlier stages of his professional journey, Bumpus spent time working as a police officer in Kansas City, Missouri.
This part of his background receives far less attention than his legal career.
It nevertheless adds another dimension to his professional history.
He later moved much more firmly into law, where he spent decades dealing with cases involving families, children, and government agencies.
What Does William Bumpus Do for a Living?
William Bumpus built his career as an attorney.
He worked as an assistant state’s attorney in Hartford, Connecticut, and later as an assistant attorney general in the Child Protection Unit of the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office.
His work has included child-protection and family-law cases.
Recent professional information also connects him with the Wolf & Shore Law Group, where he has been identified as a senior partner focusing on family law, collaborative divorce, and child-protection matters.
There is a small complication regarding his current working status.
Bumpus said publicly in 2021 that he had recently retired. However, newer professional information continued to identify him with the law firm.
Therefore, describing him simply as a longtime attorney, rather than making a firm claim about his exact current workload in 2026, is more accurate.
How Did William Bumpus Meet Gayle King?
The exact story of William Bumpus and Gayle King’s first meeting is not as well documented as the later years of their relationship.
What is firmly established is that they married in 1982.
IMDb gives their wedding date as June 20, 1982.
At that time, King had already started building her career in television news.
She would eventually become nationally famous, but much of the marriage happened before she reached the level of celebrity she enjoys today.
The couple went on to build a family together and welcomed two children.
How Long Were William Bumpus and Gayle King Married?
William and Gayle were married for approximately 11 years.
They married in 1982 and divorced in 1993.
Their marriage covered an important period in both lives.
Bumpus was building his legal career and completing his legal education.
King was developing her broadcasting career.
They also became parents during those years.
Their first child arrived in 1986, followed by their second child the next year.
How Many Children Do William Bumpus and Gayle King Have?
William and Gayle share two children.
Their daughter is Kirby Bumpus.
Their son is William Bumpus Jr., often known as Will Bumpus.
Kirby was born in 1986, while Will arrived the following year.
Despite the painful circumstances surrounding their parents’ divorce, both children remained important to William and Gayle.
King has said that keeping communication open with her former husband was important because they still had children to raise together.
That decision appears to have helped them build a much more cooperative relationship after the marriage ended.
Who Is Kirby Bumpus?
Kirby Bumpus is William and Gayle’s daughter.
She was born in 1986 and later attended Stanford University. IMDb notes that she graduated in 2008 with studies in human biology and psychology.
Her godmother is Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King’s longtime best friend.
Kirby has built a professional life outside television celebrity and has worked in areas connected with health and nonprofit organizations.
She has also made William and Gayle grandparents.
King became a grandmother in 2021 when Kirby welcomed her first child, Luca.
A useful internal-link opportunity would be Gayle King’s children Kirby and Will Bumpus and where they are today.
Who Is William Bumpus Jr.?
William Bumpus Jr., commonly known as Will Bumpus, is the former couple’s younger child.
He was born in 1987.
Like his sister, Will has generally maintained a lower public profile than his mother.
Recent family records indicate that Will married Elise Smith on June 4, 2024.
Gayle frequently speaks warmly about both children, and William Sr. has also publicly expressed pride in the family they created.
Their children eventually became one of the strongest continuing connections between the former spouses.
Why Did William Bumpus and Gayle King Divorce?
Their marriage ended after infidelity seriously damaged the relationship.
King has discussed this part of her life several times.
She has said she discovered Bumpus having an affair in their home in June 1990. In later interviews, she identified the other person as someone she considered a friend.
The discovery did not immediately end the marriage.
King said they attempted counseling and tried to repair their relationship.
However, the trust between them had been badly damaged.
By 1993, their marriage was over.
Did Gayle King Catch William Bumpus Cheating?
Yes.
This is not simply a tabloid rumor.
King has personally discussed the incident, and Bumpus has publicly acknowledged wrongdoing.
In a 2016 interview, King identified June 24, 1990, as the date she discovered the affair.
She discussed the experience in much greater detail during a May 2026 appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast.
King said she unexpectedly returned home after travel plans changed and discovered Bumpus with another woman. Their two young children were also with King when she returned.
Because these details concern a painful family event, it is unnecessary to turn them into sensational entertainment.
The important point is that Bumpus himself has accepted responsibility for his actions.
Did William Bumpus Apologize to Gayle King?
Yes.
Bumpus publicly apologized in 2016, decades after the marriage ended.
He described what he had done as a serious mistake that changed their lives and expressed respect for the way King had protected his relationship with their children despite what happened between them.
The subject returned to the news in May 2026 after King spoke about the affair again.
Bumpus then issued another statement.
He said the actions were his, noted that he had already publicly taken responsibility years earlier, and acknowledged that King had every right to discuss a painful chapter that changed their marriage and family.
His response was notable because he did not publicly attack King for revisiting the story.
Instead, he accepted that it was also her experience to discuss.
Did William and Gayle Try to Save Their Marriage?
Yes.
King has explained that the affair did not immediately produce a permanent breakup.
The couple attended counseling and attempted to repair the marriage.
In her 2026 discussion, King described how losing trust changed her own behavior.
She found herself checking things and becoming suspicious in ways she disliked.
Eventually, she decided she did not want to continue living that way.
They ultimately divorced in 1993.
King has since emphasized that she recovered emotionally from the marriage rather than spending the rest of her life defined by it.
Did William Bumpus and Gayle King Remain Friends?
“Friends” may be too simple a word for a relationship with such a complicated history.
What is clear is that they eventually developed a cooperative relationship as parents.
In 2006, King explained that it was important for divorced parents to find a way to get along because they still have children to raise.
Bumpus later praised her for making his involvement with their children a priority despite the circumstances surrounding their divorce.
Over time, their public interactions have also become lighter.
When King appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, Bumpus publicly complimented her and joked about his former wife becoming a swimsuit model. He also expressed pride in their children and grandchildren.
That does not erase what happened during their marriage.
It does show how much their relationship changed over the following decades.
Did William Bumpus Remarry?
Reliable mainstream reporting does not clearly establish a later marriage for William Bumpus.
Some online biographies make claims about his relationship status, but the information is inconsistent.
For that reason, it would be inappropriate to name a current wife or partner without stronger evidence.
Bumpus has generally kept his romantic life after Gayle King away from major media attention.
His public presence instead focuses more on law, family, children, and grandchildren.
Is William Bumpus a Grandfather?
Yes.
Bumpus and King are now grandparents.
Their daughter Kirby welcomed a son named Luca in 2021.
Later family records also identify another grandchild, Grayson.
Bumpus has publicly referred warmly to his children and grandchildren.
In comments about King, he praised the family they share and expressed pride in what their children have become.
This is another sign that their relationship today cannot be understood only through the divorce that happened more than three decades ago.
What Is William Bumpus’ Net Worth?
William Bumpus’ exact personal net worth has not been reliably verified.
Some celebrity websites publish figures for him, but there is little public financial documentation supporting those estimates.
He has had a long professional career as an attorney and government lawyer.
He has also worked in education and has been associated with private legal practice.
Those facts suggest a substantial professional career, but they do not provide enough information to calculate his assets.
Gayle King’s wealth should also not be treated as Bumpus’ wealth simply because they were once married.
Their divorce took place in 1993.
Without reliable financial records, an exact dollar amount would be speculation.
Where Is William Bumpus Now?
Bumpus has maintained a comparatively private life.
His professional biography has continued to connect him with family law and child-protection work, although he publicly referred to himself as recently retired in 2021.
He also appears to remain closely connected with his family.
Public comments show pride in his children, grandchildren, and even in the accomplishments of his former wife.
His name returned to entertainment headlines in 2026 because of King’s podcast discussion, not because Bumpus was seeking celebrity attention himself.
That distinction matters.
His public identity remains primarily connected with law and family rather than entertainment.
What Did William Bumpus Say in 2026?
After King revisited their marriage in May 2026, Bumpus issued a brief response.
He acknowledged responsibility for his past behavior and pointed out that he had already publicly addressed it in 2016.
Most importantly, he said King had the right to tell her story.
He did not attempt to publicly relitigate the details of their marriage.
Considering how easily celebrity relationship stories can turn into public arguments, his response was relatively restrained.
It also showed how much time had passed.
Their divorce occurred in 1993.
The people involved are now parents and grandparents whose lives continued for decades beyond that marriage.
Interesting Facts About William Bumpus
William Bumpus was married to Gayle King from 1982 until 1993, and they share two children, Kirby and Will.
He studied marketing at Central Connecticut State University before graduating from Yale Law School in 1988.
His career included work as a police officer in Kansas City before he built a long legal career.
He worked as an assistant state’s attorney and later in the Connecticut Attorney General’s child-protection unit.
He also returned to Central Connecticut State University as an educator and administrator.
Bumpus publicly apologized in 2016 for the actions that contributed to the end of his marriage.
When King discussed the affair again in 2026, he reiterated his responsibility and said he respected her right to tell the story.
Despite their difficult divorce, the former couple eventually established a cooperative relationship around their children.
Why Is William Bumpus Still Searched Today?
Part of the answer is obvious.
Gayle King remains a major public figure.
When someone reaches that level of fame, people naturally become curious about their family history.
But there is another reason.
King has been unusually open about what happened in her marriage.
Her 2026 podcast appearance introduced the story to people who may not even have been born when the couple divorced.
That renewed interest in Bumpus.
Yet his story is more complicated than simply being the man who hurt a famous journalist.
He had his own education.
His own legal career.
His own public-service work.
And his own continuing relationship with their children.
The affair remains part of his biography because both people have publicly acknowledged it.
It does not need to become his entire biography.
Final Thoughts
William Bumpus entered public awareness largely because he married Gayle King.
But when they married in 1982, King was still building the career that would eventually make her nationally famous.
Bumpus was building something very different.
A career in law.
He studied at Central Connecticut State University and later graduated from Yale Law School. He worked in government legal positions, handled child-protection matters, taught at a university, and spent decades working as an attorney.
At home, he and King became parents.
Kirby arrived in 1986.
Will followed in 1987.
Then their marriage went through a painful breakdown.
King discovered Bumpus having an affair in 1990.
They tried counseling.
They attempted to repair their relationship.
Eventually, they divorced in 1993.
That could easily have created decades of hostility.
Instead, the story became more complicated.
King made a conscious effort to keep Bumpus involved in their children’s lives.
Bumpus later publicly thanked her for doing that.
Their children grew up.
They became grandparents.
And the former couple reached a stage where Bumpus could publicly joke about King appearing in Sports Illustrated while also telling her how proud he was of her and the family they shared.
In 2026, the painful part of their history returned to public attention.
Bumpus did not deny it.
He acknowledged his responsibility and respected King’s right to tell her version of what happened.
That does not change the past.
But it provides a fuller picture of what happened afterward.
William Bumpus is Gayle King’s ex-husband.
He is also a Yale-trained attorney, former government lawyer, educator, father, and grandfather whose professional life lasted for decades outside the celebrity world.
The marriage is an important part of his story.
It simply is not the only part.
For more carefully researched celebrity biographies and family stories, visit Charles Magazine.
FAQs About William Bumpus
Who is William Bumpus?
William Bumpus is an American attorney best known publicly as Gayle King’s former husband. He has worked in family law, child protection, government legal service, and higher education.
When did William Bumpus marry Gayle King?
William Bumpus and Gayle King married in 1982. IMDb records their wedding date as June 20, 1982.
When did William Bumpus and Gayle King divorce?
Their marriage ended in 1993, approximately 11 years after they married.
How many children do William Bumpus and Gayle King have?
They have two children: daughter Kirby Bumpus and son William “Will” Bumpus Jr.
Is William Bumpus a lawyer?
Yes. Bumpus is a longtime attorney who has worked as an assistant state’s attorney and in the Child Protection Unit of Connecticut’s Attorney General’s Office.
Did William Bumpus attend Yale?
Yes. He graduated from Yale Law School in 1988 after previously studying at Central Connecticut State University.
Why did William Bumpus and Gayle King divorce?
Their marriage broke down after King discovered Bumpus was having an affair. They attempted counseling and reconciliation before ultimately divorcing. Bumpus later publicly acknowledged and apologized for his actions.
What is William Bumpus doing now?
Bumpus has maintained a relatively private life. Although he referred to himself as recently retired in 2021, newer professional information has continued to associate him with legal work. His exact working status in 2026 is therefore not completely clear.
