Everything About Gayle King’s Ex-husband William Bumpus

William Bumpus is Gayle King’s ex-husband, who she caught in bed cheating on her with another woman. William Bumpus and Gayle King were married for 11 years, between the 1980s and 1990s — and they share two children together from the union

To those who know him personally, William Bumpus is an accomplished lawyer, college professor, and philanthropist who has deployed his intellect and resources in serving his community over the years.

However, to the rest of the world, Bumpus is largely seen as that unfaithful husband who cheated on his wife, popular TV personality – Gayle King. Bumpus and King got together and married at a time both of them were still trying to establish themselves.

It was their joint hope that they would accompany each other to the very pinnacle of their careers but that was not to be. Even though they have each gone on to become notable personalities in their respective fields, the couple is no longer together as a result of Bumpus’ indiscretions. He has however apologized for his mistakes and remains focused on making himself into a better man.

William Bumpus is Originally From England But Grew up in the U.S.

While Gayle King hails from the U.S. state of Maryland, her former husband – William Bumpus, is originally from England, specifically the town of Greenwich in southeast London. Bumpus was born in the year 1954 and spent the first few years of his life in the U.K.

His family thereafter relocated to Kansas City, Missouri, in the United States and he spent the remainder of his formative years there. While growing up in Missouri, the young William Bumpus attended Rockhurst High School.

He completed his diploma in normal time and went on to study for a degree in marketing at Central Connecticut State University. He equally completed that successfully. The bachelor’s degree in marketing does not mark the end of William Bumpus’ education sojourn. He later attended the prestigious Yale Law School and qualified as an attorney in the late 90s.

William Bumpus and Gayle King Began Dating Around 1981 and Got Married in 1982

Given the torrid way in which their relationship ended, William Bumpus and Gayle King are not given to recollecting the happier times in their romance. It is therefore difficult to pinpoint exactly when they started dating or how they met each other. It is however likely that they first met in Hartford, Connecticut in 1981.

At that time, King was just starting out on her journalism career at a local TV station while Bumpus was most likely still a police officer. They took a shine to each other and started dating. They then tied the knot in 1982.

The marriage between Bumpus and King lasted for about eight years during which they made their home in Hartford, Connecticut. They progressed in their respective careers and also had happy times as a couple. That happiness was even more magnified after they welcomed two kids together. The first is their daughter, Kirby, who was born in 1986 while the second, William Jr., was born in 1987. Sadly, both kids were still quite young when their parents decided to call it quits in 1993.

The Couple Divorced in 1993 After Bumpus Cheated on King With Her Friend

Gayle King divorced William Bumpus because he cheated on her. As you can imagine, it was a nightmarish situation and as such, the ace TV personality still has vivid recollections of the whole thing and has often discussed it. According to Gayle, on the 24th of June 1990 at about 9:16 pm, she walked in on Bumpus naked in bed with a friend of hers.

She was predictably devastated by this and asked her friend why she would do such a thing. The lady replied that she never liked her (Gayle). Bumpus on his own part was quite sorry but Gayle knew that there was no way that she could stay with a cheater and filed for divorce.

The divorce took three years to be sorted out and was finalized in 1993. It has been decades since that time but the whole affair still leaves a bad taste in King’s mouth. She has revealed that it hindered her from making female friends.

She has also stated that she had to attend marital counseling so that she could heal and not be bitter about the whole thing. Bumpus, on his own part, has been quite contrite. He describes himself as “a work in progress who is striving for continuous improvement” on his Facebook page. He also issued a public apology in 2016.

The attorney stated that he has been haunted by the life-altering choice he made. He also made it known that even though he had dealt with the issue privately, he still wanted to publicly apologize for his transgressions. Bumpus described his former wife as a great wife, excellent mother, and a fantastic co-parent, and praised her for making their children, as well as his continued relationship with them, a clear priority at all times. He stated that he was striving to be a better man and applauded King for her phenomenal success and friendship.

He Has Variously Worked as a Police Officer, College Professor, and an Assistant Attorney General in the State of Connecticut

William Bumpus spent 18 years as an Assistant Attorney General in the state of Connecticut. In this position, he earned about $144,021 per annum and his primary mission was to resolve issues in the best interest of the people, including the prosecution of criminal cases. Prior to joining the Attorney General’s office in 2000, Bumpus originally worked as a police officer. It is most likely during this period that he took out time to qualify as a lawyer which is quite enterprising.

He continues to display that enterprising spirit to this very day. Asides from his role as an Assistant Attorney General, Bumpus was a professor in the law department of Central Connecticut State University. He joined their faculty in 2000 and received high ratings from students with the general consensus being that despite his hard exterior, he is a nice teacher who makes his subjects interesting.

William Bumpus now earns a living as a wellness coach at Weight Watchers. He is also a member of the global weight loss group and is committed to offering guidance and encouragement to those that wish to become healthier and better versions of themselves.

William Bumpus Has Spearheaded a Charity Book Drive in Connecticut For Several Years

William Bumpus is not only interested in earning a living but is also dedicated to doing various acts of charity for his society. A look at his Facebook page will reveal that he has donated to several worthy causes, including the Covenant Soup Kitchen. The former assistant Attorney General also spearheaded a state-wide book drive in Connecticut in the 2010s. He was motivated to start up the program after decades of work experience and the encounter that he had with young people.

During those encounters, Bumpus discovered that several children who have gone down the wrong path could have ended up differently if they had access to books and reading at the early crucial stage of development. He, therefore, took it upon himself to do something and started organizing annual book drives.

This attracted support from various quarters and this benefitted book banks, including the New Haven Reads. They were able to gather and hand out over 140,000 books in a year and this was largely due to Bumpus’ efforts.

William Bumpus’ First Child, Kirby Bumpus, is a Former White House Policy Director

William Bumpus and Gayle King have two kids together and the first is daughter, Kirby Bumpus. Kirby was born in May 1986 and was about four years old when her parents separated. She majorly grew up with her mom though her dad kept in touch. Kirby grew up to be brilliant and obtained a degree in psychology and human biology from Stanford University.

She thereafter attended Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and completed a Master’s degree in socio-medical sciences. Kirby is experienced in issues of public health, wellness, and social impact and has worked for various organizations, including the U.S. Department of Health And Human Services, Under Armour (sports apparel company), and Harlem Health Promotion Centre.

Kirby Bumpus also served as an associate director for policy at the White House from 2014 to 2016. She was instrumental in the Michelle Obama anti-childhood obesity campaign titled Let’s Move. Kirby’s appointment attracted some scrutiny as many felt that they were better-qualified candidates and she only got the role as a result of her mother’s influence. The young lady ignored all the small talk though and successfully completed her time at the White House. She now serves as the head of social impact and inclusion at an American fast-casual restaurant chain that serves salads, Sweet Green.

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Kirby Bumpus Shares a Son Named Luca with her Husband, Virgil Miller

talking about her personal life, Kirby is married to a former congressional aide named Virgil Miller. They tied the knot in December 2020 and welcomed their first child, Luca Lynn Miller, in September 2021. Kirby’s wedding ceremony was officiated by her brother, William Jr while her mom was also in attendance. It is however likely that her dad was not in attendance. This though could have been a result of covid-19 restrictions rather than any bad blood. Public records show that William Bumpus has filed papers on behalf of his daughter in recent times showing that they are in contact. Kirby, meanwhile, has a close relationship with her famous mom who often gushes about her online. After her wedding, her excited mom took to Instagram to announce the nuptials.

She disclosed that they had to comply with strict Covid-19 protocols. As a result, only six people were in attendance and she couldn’t hug Kirby during the ceremony. The TV personality described this as hard but maintained that her daughter and the entire ceremony were gorgeous. Gayle King also revealed Kirby’s baby news once she gave birth. The TV personality has longed to be a grandmother for quite some time and was very happy when it happened. She immediately dropped everything that she was doing on set so that she could be with her daughter. In November 2021, Kirby and her mom recreated a family photo from 1986 and fans gushed over the fact that they closely resemble each other.

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His Second Child, William Bumpus Jr, is a High Flying Social Investor

The second of the two children that William Bumpus shares with Gayle King is their son, William Bumpus Jr. William Jr. was born on the 28th of April 1987 in Hartford, Connecticut. He was about three years old when his parents divorced and largely grew up with his mom in Hartford while his dad maintained an active presence in his life. The divorce must have affected his well being but thanks to his parents’ commitment to co-parenting, he had a good childhood. William Jr. completed his undergraduate degree at Duke University in 2009. He thereafter underwent his postgraduate studies at the Stanford Graduate Business School.

William Bumpus Jr commenced his career as an analyst at the global financial services firm/investment banking advisory services firm, Perella Weinberg Partners. He thereafter joined the American video games publishing company, Activision, as their head of business operations and intelligence. He had a successful time with them during which he launched Call of Duty as a free-to-play PC game in China (in partnership with Tencent). William Jr. also worked as the Head of Corporate Development for Guanxi.me, a location-based social networking app. He thereafter served as the chief of Staff at Headspace, an English-American online company specializing in meditation.

William Jr. is presently a venture partner at Concrete Rose, an early-stage investment platform that primarily invests in companies serving underrepresented consumers, helping them to build diverse teams.

William Bumpus Jr. Lives in Santa Monica With a Beloved Rescue Dog Named Scott

In his personal life, William Jr. maintains a great relationship with his mom and sister. It is also quite possible that he is close to his dad but the fact that his mom is popular and often posts about him on social media means that it is only that relationship that gets media coverage. For instance, on the occasion of his birthday in 2021, his mom shared a collage of photos and described him as her favorite son. She also took to social media to reveal that William Jr. had officiated his sister’s wedding in December 2020 and described it as special.

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A post shared by Gayle King (@gayleking)

William Bumpus Jr. presently lives in Santa Monica. He doesn’t seem to be dating anybody at this time but he has a beloved rescue dog named Scott. He often takes Scott on long walks and in 2020, his mom expressed fear that he may be caught up in the protests that greeted the death of George Floyd death in 2020. Her fear was borne out of the fact that he is a black man and she advised him to limit his walks.

Key Facts

1. Who is William Bumpus? William Bumpus is a lawyer who rose to prominence due to his marriage to American journalist Gayle King. Born in 1954 in Greenwich, South East London, England, Bumpus moved to the United States and enrolled at Connecticut State University before transferring to Yale Law School.
2. He started his career as an Assistant Attorney General in Connecticut, later becoming an attorney responsible for representing DCF in cases involving child abuse and neglect. He’s currently known for his specialization in custody termination.
3. What is William Bumpus’ age? William Bumpus was born in 1954. He is 69 years old.
4. What is William Bumpus’ educational background? William Bumpus first enrolled at Connecticut State University. He then transferred to Yale Law School in New Haven, Connecticut, where he studied law and eventually received his Juris Doctor degree.
5. What is William Bumpus’ nationality? William Bumpus is of British-American nationality. He was born in Greenwich, South East London, England, and later moved to the United States, making him both British and American.
6. What is William Bumpus’ ethnicity? William Bumpus is of mixed ethnicity. His ancestral background is of the Black race, and as a British/American national, he’s also white.
7. Is William Bumpus married? William Bumpus was married to renowned American journalist Gayle King. They started dating in 1981, got married in 1982, and divorced in 1993 due to Bumpus’ infidelity. According to recent updates, Bumpus is now in a relationship with Jane Neu since 2020.
8. How many children does William Bumpus have? William Bumpus has two children with Gayle King: Kirby Bumpus and William Bumpus Jr. Kirby worked as an administrator during Barack Obama’s presidency and is now a health educator and mentor. William Bumpus Jr., on the other hand, is known to have worked as an entertainment DJ and leads a very private life.
9. When did William Bumpus and Gayle King get married and divorced? William Bumpus and Gayle King got married in 1982 and divorced in 1993 after King discovered Bumpus’ infidelity.
10. What does William Bumpus do now? After working as a police officer and then shifting to the legal field, William Bumpus currently works as a wellness coach in Waterbury, Connecticut, in addition to his ongoing law practice. He offers guidance and encouragement to those wishing to become healthier versions of themselves.
11. Who is William Bumpus’ ex-wife, Gayle King? Gayle King is an American television personality, author, and broadcast journalist for CBS News. She co-hosts CBS Morning and its predecessor, CBS This Morning. King is also an editor-at-large for Oprah Magazine and is best known for her close friendship with Oprah Winfrey.