CBS host Gayle King has issued a partial apology — as well as a harsh rebuke of her own network — after a clip of a recent interview she conducted in which she asked about the 2003 sexual assault allegation against the late-Kobe Bryant resulted in severe backlash, including from some famous names in the entertainment industry.
In a clip CBS promoted on social media Tuesday, King asks former WNBA star Lisa Leslie about whether she feels that the deceased Lakers star’s legacy is “complicated” because of the sexual assault allegation brought against him in 2003 — an allegation he denied and a case that was ultimately dismissed after the 19-year-old accuser refused to testify.
“It’s been said that his legacy is complicated because of a sexual assault charge, which was dismissed in 2003, 2004. Is it complicated for you, as a woman, as a WNBA player?” King asked Leslie in the interview Tuesday (video below).
“It’s not complicated for me at all,” Leslie replied. “Even if there’s a few times that we’ve been at a club at the same time, Kobe’s not the kind of guy, never been, like, ‘Lis, go get that girl, or tell her, or send her this.’ I have other NBA friends that are like that. Kobe, he was never like that. I just never … have ever seen him being the kind of person that would … do something to violate a woman or be aggressive in that way. That’s just not the person that I know.”
“But, Lisa, you wouldn’t see it, though,” King replied. “As his friend, you wouldn’t see it.”
“And that’s possible,” said Leslie, but adding, “I just don’t believe that, and I’m not saying things didn’t happen. I just don’t believe that things didn’t happen [sic] with force.”
“Is it even a fair question to talk about it considering he’s no longer with us, and that it was resolved, or is it really part of his history?” King asked.
“I think that the media should be more respectful at this time,” said Leslie. “It’s like, if you had questions about it, you’ve had many years to ask him that. I don’t think it’s something that we should keep hanging over his legacy.”
.@WNBA legend @LisaLeslie told @GayleKing that Kobe Bryant's legacy is "not complicated" for her despite his 2003 rape accusation.
"I don't think it's something that we should keep hanging over his legacy." https://t.co/qj6MVvOaqX pic.twitter.com/9qtVORobLO
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) February 4, 2020
Backlash to the clip of the interview was fierce, with many slamming CBS and King for their handling of the topic.
Among the critics were entertainers Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent and Lil Boosie, who provided their outraged reactions to the interview in a video posted online (warning: language):
50 Cent And Lil Boosie joins Uncle Snoop In Roasting Gayle King For Questioning Kobe Bryant Legacy. pic.twitter.com/R1EwWizTVV
— VideoMixtape.com (@videomixtape_) February 6, 2020
Before going on air Wednesday, King posted a video statement on Instagram expressing her embarrassment and dismay that the network posted the clip “totally taken out of context” and without her knowing.
“I’ve been up reading the comments about the interview I did with Lisa Leslie about Kobe Bryant, and I know that if I had only seen the clip that you saw, I’d be extremely angry with me too,” says Gayle, as reported by Page Six (video below). “I am mortified. I am embarrassed and I am very angry.”
“Unbeknownst to me, my network put up a clip from a very wide-ranging interview — totally taken out of context — and when you see it that way, it’s very jarring. It’s jarring to me. I didn’t even know anything about it,” she states.
King goes on to defend herself, stressing that she insisted that Leslie’s statement about the media handling the situation with more respect remain in the final cut of the interview.
(If video is not visible, view it here.)
King’s apology has not been accepted by some of her critics, including one Instagram follower who responded: “You wanted to point out a black man’s one mistake the same as your sister Oprah and the Simmons issue. You and Oprah are making Monique’s case on yall real godd*mn strong. Oprah and Gail have lost us black folks. Your response is not addressing the attack on black men perpetrated by you and Oprah. You sugar coating this issue.”
Another wrote: “I believe you are sorry…but given that he has a grieving wife and children why is that topic even relevant to discuss at this moment? Consider the family for once they are already hurting…I know Vanessa hurts even more when the topic comes up.”