Gayle King Responds to 'Haters' Questioning Blue Origin Flight: 'I Wish People Would Do More Due Diligence'
Gayle King is happy to address the 'haters' voicing criticism over Blue Origin's all-female space flight.
During a Tuesday interview with Extra, the CBS Morning co-anchor said it was 'good that we can really address' the controversy that has erupted after some questioned the usefulness of the expedition.
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'I was one of those people, before I went on this flight and became educated at space, [questioning,] 'Why are we spending so much money on space when there's so much to do here on Earth?'' King said. She added her perspective shifted when she learned more about 'what Blue Origin does,' which included finding 'a way to harness the waste here and figure out a way to put it in space to make planet Earth a better place.'
'So I wish people would do more due diligence,' King continued, before pushing back at the critics. 'And then my question is, 'Have y'all been to space?' Go to Blue Origin and see what they do and then come back and say, 'This is a terrible thing.''
On April 14, King, Katy Perry, Jeff Bezos' fiancée Lauren Sánchez, film producer Kerianne Flynn, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe and research scientist Amanda Nguyen headed into space for a 10-minute flight to notably become Blue Origin's first all-female transport. Once news of the venture was announced, Olivia Munn questioned the motive for the space flight and called it 'gluttonous,' and that started a wave of criticism about the journey.
King acknowledged the financial concerns over the flight, admitting it was 'expensive,' but with further exposure 'if you get enough people who are interested, it doesn't have to be that expensive.' She also fired back at those calling their journey a 'ride' — a sentiment Munn used during her appearance on a Today With Jenna & Friends where she questioned the need for the expedition.
'I don't like that people are calling it 'a ride.' You never see a man, a male astronaut, who's going up in space and they said, 'Oh we took a ride,'' King added. 'I feel that's a little disrespectful to what the mission was and the work that Blue Origin does.'
In fact, King said that the Blue Origin journey had already inspired 'young girls in particular,' while also allowing young boys to 'see what women and young girls can do.'
Despite the backlash, the TV personality acknowledged the 'cranky Yankees' and 'haters' critiquing the mission, before adding: 'But I'm not going to let people steal my joy and steal the joy of what we did or what we accomplished that day — I'm just not going to let it in.'
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The monarch is said to be adjusting to a new routine as he continues his weekly cancer treatments and remains devoted to full-time royal duties. 6 King Charles III and Queen Camilla with Prince William, Prince of Wales attend the Christmas Morning Service at St Mary Magdalene Church on December 25, 2024. UK Press via Getty Images 'He pushes for change on occasion,' said Chard. 'He broke royal tradition with his last Christmas speech, recorded at the Fitzrovia Chapel, rather than a royal residence. It was there that he chose to reflect on the deeper things that connect us all — community, health, inclusivity and love.' Chard also pointed out that the shortage may prompt the king to review the shooting tradition, which has come under fire from animal rights groups. Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner is hopeful the change of plans will allow the king to prioritize one thing — making amends with his younger son, Prince Harry. The Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan Markle stepped back as senior royals in 2020, citing the unbearable intrusions of the British press and a lack of support from the palace. They reside in California. 6 On Christmas Day in 2017, the late Queen Elizabeth II, her husband and other members of the royal family were pictured leaving the St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement Since the couple's royal exit, they have aired their grievances in interviews and podcasts, as well as Harry's explosive 2023 memoir, 'Spare.' Sources close to the prince, 40, previously claimed to People magazine that the king won't respond to his phone calls and letters. 'Perhaps he could bring the royal clan together, lock the door, knock all their heads together and unite the entire family, including Harry and Meghan,' Turner told Fox News Digital. 'This may be feathers flying in a different way than a grouse shoot, but if they really believe in the Christian principles, they would try, in my view. It is what Britain expects.' People magazine reported that Charles supports traditional practices and opposes importing birds from elsewhere for the customary rural pastime. However, the outlet reported that maintaining game birds in the area has been 'challenging.' 6 Britain's King Charles III greeted families of service personnel during a visit to the regiments headquarters in Lark Hill, Wiltshire. via REUTERS Advertisement People also reported that the king's grandson, Prince George, was taken on his first grouse-hunting expedition at Balmoral, the royal family's Scottish estate. Royal author Tom Quinn claimed in his new book, 'Yes Ma'am — The Secret Life of Royal Servants,' that Kate Middleton isn't allowing her three young children, including George, 11, to participate in 'blooding.' This longtime ritual calls for members of the royal family to smear blood on their faces from their first kill during fox or stag hunting. Fox News Digital reached out to Kensington Palace for comment. In his 2023 book 'Gilded Youth,' Quinn claimed that William also wanted his family to get with the times. Advertisement ''William is struggling with the traditional pastimes of the royal family as they become ever more unpopular with the public,' he wrote. 6 Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, previously reported that Princess Diana wasn't a fan of game shooting. Getty Images 'William loves shooting — a love he shares with his father — but he is also conscious that the tide is now moving against what many people now refer to as blood sports (the royals prefer to refer to them as field sports). But are they suitable for George, Charlotte and Louis?' Quinn also wrote that while William, 42, was 'keen' to get the children into shooting, he also noted that 'few' expected Kate to 'allow' her children to take part in the blooding tradition. Advertisement Harry previously detailed his experience with the tradition in his memoir, 'Spare.' The 40-year-old recalled how his hunting guide, Sandy, pressed his face into the belly wound of a stag he shot during a blooding ritual on the grounds of Balmoral Castle. 'He placed a hand gently behind my neck and… pushed my head inside the carcass,' the Duke of Sussex wrote, as quoted by the New York Post. 'I tried to pull away, but Sandy pushed me deeper,' the prince wrote. 'I was shocked by his insane strength. And by the infernal smell. My breakfast jumped up from my stomach. After a minute, I couldn't smell anything, because I couldn't breathe. My nose and mouth were full of blood, guts and a deep, upsetting warmth.' Harry wrote that he 'felt swelling pride' that he had 'been good to that stag' by killing it with a single shot so it wouldn't feel pain. He said it was a 'show of respect for the slain' and 'an act of communion by the slayer.' The outlet noted that the book's revelations prompted animal rights organization PETA to condemn the father of two for his graphic descriptions. Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, previously reported that Princess Diana wasn't a fan of game shooting, which has been one of the royal family's favorite activities for centuries. Seward claimed that the late Princess of Wales didn't even like her sons being photographed holding guns. Seward claimed Diana reportedly told William and Harry, 'Remember, there's always someone in a high-rise flat who doesn't want to see you shoot a Bambi,' as quoted by the U.K.'s Express. Still, the boys loved hunting, and Diana used to jokingly call them her 'Killer Wales.' Ken Wharfe, Diana's former royal protection officer, also claimed that Diana was disgusted by hunting. 'The royal shooting obsession was something Princess Diana found repugnant,' Wharfe said, as quoted by the outlet. 'Requiring little or no skill, royal pheasant shoots are a pre-planned carnage of wildlife, bred specifically for slaughter.'
