Gayle King is “69 years old and doing very well.” On Tuesday, September 17, CBS Morning co-host spoke with PEOPLE at the Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program luncheon, which supports female filmmakers by helping them refine and present their short film concepts to the industry.
At the event, King spoke about his recent Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover, which was presented in May.
“Talk about stepping outside the box,” she said. “Honestly, when they called me, I thought I was being punched. I was. I thought I was being punched.”
King added that she was “really happy” to be included in the iconic magazine, but was “thrilled” to discover she had been chosen for a solo cover.
“I’ve had so many women come up to me and say, that was so brave,” the TV personality said. “Was it brave? I was just excited. That’s what it was for me. To show you that he’s 69 and I feel really good.”
Gayle King at Through Her Lens: The Tribeca CHANEL Program Luncheon for Women Filmmakers.
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Gayle King, 69, Brings ‘Tasty Cleavage’ SI Swimsuit Cover: ‘I Thought I Was Being Punked’ (Exclusive)
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King previously told PEOPLE that gracing the 60th anniversary cover was one of the “highlights” of her career.
“It wasn’t something I dreamed of,” she said, “but it was one of the highlights of all the things I’ve done because I never thought this would be possible.”
On the cover, King wears a printed one-piece swimsuit with an Evarae cover-up. “I wanted delicious cleavage, and they delivered,” King said of her look.
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During the Tuesday, May 14 episode CBS Morning, King was surprised to discover her cover live on air. Hunter McGrady and Kate Upton — who also have solo covers — introduced King to the release.
“Ahhh! I’m on the cover,” exclaimed the reporter. “They told me I’d just be in! It’s not a fake cover? This is going to be on newsstands? Oh my God! Oh my God!”
“I’m floating, I’m floating, I can’t believe it,” she continued, noting that she never thought she’d be on the cover. “Never in my wildest dreams! Never, never, never.”
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