Gayle King returned to CBS Mornings on Monday after she controversially attended the multi-million dollar wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez last week.
The host, 70, was back on the network show alongside colleagues Tony Dokoupil and Nate Burleson, with the trio presenting the latest headlines from the devastating floods in Texas.
Gayle’s appearance comes days after she was spotted in Venice, Italy, with good pal Oprah Winfrey for the Amazon founder’s lavish nuptials.
Taking to social media, some viewers were less than impressed to see Gayle back on their screens and voiced their disappointment.
On Instagram, one said: ‘Used to be a huge fan of Gayle, but no more. Just go hang out with your billionaire friends and ruin the earth.’
‘You were so genuine and now you’re becoming just too much,’ sniped another.
‘And she’s back from the fancy wedding,’ said a third.
Over on X, formerly Tiwtter, another continued: ‘Gayle King is back to CBS Mornings after attending the Robber Barron’s wedding. I’m surprised how mad and disappointed in her I am.’
Gayle King returned to CBS Mornings on Monday after she controversially attended the $50million wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez
The host, 70, was back on the network show alongside colleagues Tony Dokoupil and Nate Burleson
A fifth added: ‘Guess I’ve fallen into the trap of thinking she was partially in the news business when she was really in the entertainment and Gayle business.’
Last month, Gayle travelled to Venice for the divisive wedding of Amazon tycoon Jeff and his new wife, Lauren.
She was one of hundreds of celebrity guests at the extravagant big day, which also included Kim Kardashian and Sydney Sweeney.
Gayle was spotted with her pal Oprah waving at the crowd as they boarded a boat that brought them to the behind-the-scenes bash from the Venice Marco Polo Airport on June 25.
The two were seen again leaving the Gritti Palace Hotel together on June 27, before being whisked away again.
The celebrations kicked off June 26 and lasted until Saturday, June 29, with Lauren and Jeff renting out a number of locales to ring the occasion.
During coverage of the wedding, a CBS News reporter called out the wedding as ‘performative’ — despite Gayle’s attendance.
Reporting live from Venice for CBS Mornings, correspondent Seth Doane delivered a pointed summary of the over-the-top nuptials and their celebrity guest list.
Jeff and Lauren tied the knot in an extravagant three-day ceremony in front of some of Hollywood’s biggest stars
Gayle was among the celebrities to arrive in the Italian city on June 25
‘Guests, many bold-faced names, shuttled around in boats. Lots and lots of boats,’ Doane offered of the Venice setting.
‘Representing media, Oprah, and yes, our own Gayle King; tech, Bill Gates; sports, Tom Brady; fashion – that’s Tommy Hilfiger – and film,’ he added, as footage rolled of King boarding a chauffeured boat alongside close friend Oprah Winfrey.
‘Some of the 200 invited were in a category all their own. There was a performative aspect to some of this.
‘Even if not everyone got their shot,’ he continued, as images of other stars like Kim Kardashian accompanied the report.
‘Not much came from the ceremony itself,’ Doane added, saying the event left ‘some questioning whether we were seeing another gilded age on gaudy display.’
He added: ‘Protesters were decrying Amazon’s impact on jobs and small business here in Italy and calling out inequality and elitism.
Gayle attended the celebrations with friend Oprah Winfrey
The CBS Mornings host’s appearance at the wedding comes after she joined Lauren on the divisive Blue Origin space mission
‘Some used the attention to lament high housing costs, damage from over-tourism, and just the excess of it all.’
Gayle’s controversial friendship with Lauren was cemented in May when the duo jetted off to space on Jeff’s Blue Origin rocket for 11 minutes, along with Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn, Aisha Bowe, and Amanda Nguyễn.
The trip ignited a media storm and was branded a publicity stunt and a ‘gluttonous’ display of wealth by critics, who additionally said the mission lacked purpose.
At the time, Gayle hit back at critics during an interview with People and told the publication that anyone ‘criticizing it doesn’t really understand what is happening here.’
‘We can all speak to the response we’re getting from young women from young girls about what this represents,’ the journalist told the publication in defense of the mission.
