Gayle King says her friend Oprah Winfrey is doing just fine after her recent stomach flu — and that Oprah herself didn’t understand why people were making such a big deal out of her illness.
“I’m here to tell you, favorite listeners, Oprah is okay!,” King, 69, said on the most recent episode of SiriusXM’s Gayle King In The House.
A stomach flu kept Winfrey from missing a scheduled appearance on June 11’s episode of CBS Mornings, where she usually announces her latest Oprah’s Book Club pick.
“Something happened, you know, it wasn’t just her. Several people around her got the stomach flu,” said King.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Stomach flu, viral gastroenteritis, is a viral infection in your digestive system. It causes gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. It’s usually brief, but can be very contagious.”
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King shared Winfery’s specific symptoms — “I said on air that stuff was coming out of both sides. It was a mess.”
Due to diarrhea and vomiting, the Cleveland Clinic says that with the stomach flu, “The most likely complication is dehydration. This happens when you lose too many fluids and electrolytes from diarrhea or vomiting, and you can’t drink enough or drink fast enough to replace them.”
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In Winfrey’s case, King says, “She had to go to the hospital, and she got an IV drip, and I was very clear. She went and got an IV drip. She was fine and she is fine.”
King poked fun at how her comments spread online. “The headline is ‘Oprah Hospitalized, Best Friend Overshares.’ I didn’t overshare, this is the thing. I would’ve never said anything that I wouldn’t say about myself. So I really didn’t think it was a big deal.
“When I called her, told her, she goes, ‘I don’t know why people are acting like diarrhea is unusual. Sometimes people have it.’ “
“She was not upset about it, but it turned into a — Oprah said everybody she’s ever known her entire life, from Swaziland to Australia, childhood friends, ‘Are you okay?’ I’m praying for you.’”
“People are setting up prayer circles,” King quipped. But, she added, “She’s okay. She had a IV drip and she is really, really fine.”
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SiriusXM’s “Gayle King In The House” airs Thursday evenings from 5-6pm EST on Radio Andy channel 102.
