Are Gayle King's Necklaces Too Much? The Internet—and Oprah—Weigh In

From Oprah Magazine

Our editor-at-large Gayle King loves her some accessories. She's a shoe aficionado, and she's got quite the impressive collection of glasses. But the award-winning journalist's signature? Long, layered necklaces.

You might recall that back in December, fans and celebrities alike came to Gayle's defense after trolls criticized her funky frames. Now, it’s her collection of statement necklaces that have gotten people talking. Earlier this week, Gayle posted a funny clip of herself hanging out with co-host Norah O’Donnell on the set of CBS This Morning.

In the video, O’Donnell jokingly tells Gayle that in her opinion, her necklaces-paired with her yellow top, glasses, and a belt-are a little too much.

“I want to see your beautiful blue-your beautiful brown eyes-and...I thought the necklaces were distracting from seeing your beautiful eyes,” O’Donnell told Gayle.

Gayle, of course, defended herself. “She thinks the necklaces are too distracting. I call it fashion." She then called on co-hosts John Dickerson and Bianna Golodryga to offer their opinions before asking fans to chime in on her Instagram comments.

What did her followers think? “Wear whatever makes you happy! The necklaces and the outfit are beautiful! You look marvelous!” wrote one user, while another added: “It’s never too much if it’s what you like and are comfortable with! Do you, boo!”

Others had...differing thoughts. “I love your dress. Those necklaces are a bit much though. You’re amazing @gayleking!”

And then...the O of O herself chimed in. “Agree TOO MUCH.. but maybe she’ll listen to y’all and @norahodonnell! I’ve said it before can’t be heard,” Oprah commented on the post.

And because the should-she, shouldn’t-she? debate didn’t end there, O’Donnell followed up on Friday with a behind-the-scenes video of the CBS This Morning dressing room, where she unveiled Gayle's impressive necklace collection.

In a new clip, O’Donnell tries on some of Gayle’s necklaces and gets the ultimate response from her co-host: “You’re not drinking haterade are you? Shall I get you some necklaces too?...I know you’re looking out for me, but you and I just disagree.”

So what's the real tea behind #NecklaceGate? To get to the bottom of it, we turned to the source herself: Gayle. (We may have some inside connections, after all.)

"I still stand by what I said: It's fashion! I like all my necklaces to have a friend," Gayle told us. "I very seldom wear a necklace by itself unless it's a big statement piece. I'm never trying to go for the Mr. T starter kit look, despite how it may appear. I always try to choose what I think looks good. And there's a method to my madness."

That method, it turns out, is pretty specific.

"It's based on the neckline of the dress," she says. "There are some dresses I don't wear a necklace at all with-the neckline would be too distracting, too much pattern. It just depends on the style, neckline, and color."

As for what she thought of O'Donnell's comment, it was all in good fun.

"I loved it because I do think her intentions were pure. She was just saying she thought it was a bit much," Gayle told us. "We just have to agree to disagree. I wasn’t offended or took it as a knock. That’s not her sensibility. I appreciated her way in. I did take off one of them...a very thin one."

And when it came to her thoughts on Oprah's two cents, all Gayle had to say was: "When was the last time you saw Oprah wear a necklace?"

Every story has two sides, so of course, we also had to ask O'Donnell what went through her mind when she called out her co-host.

"Gayle and I have worked together for nearly seven years. We get ready together every morning. We get our makeup and hair done in the same room. So we are 'hommies' as Gayle would say," she told us. "In all those years, I’ve never commented on Gayle’s accessories-until Wednesday. Who knew it would blow up the internet?! Necklace-gate has brought us even closer together."

She continued, "Next week, we will take viewers behind the scenes and open the Gayle King treasure chest of accessories. There are bags and bags of silver necklaces. There are bracelets in every color and shape! Do viewers know that Gayle has a pen in every color to match her outfit?!"

This incident, of course, is not the first time Gayle’s necklaces have come under question. In 2015, Gayle posted a photo of producers quickly taking off a set of necklaces before she went on the air. “Big cheese boss @chrislicht sends in a team to take it down to only ONE … Gasp and single tear!” she wrote.

And in 2016, Oprah kept it real with her BFF, sending a note to Gayle’s assistant that read, “plz tell Gayle I’m on treadmill & it’s hard to focus w/the circus around your neck.”

Amidst all the bauble brouhaha, we still had a lingering question: Where does Gayle find these pieces? "All over. I can't tell you where I get them. Whether it's beachside in the Bahamas, I'm not kidding, I get them from all over. Traveling around Paris, at the mall, at Bergdorf Goodman, all over. I don't have one dealer."

Her tips for aspiring necklace-wearers? "No seashells! No seashells or puka shells, the things that look like macaroni."

And there you have it. Let us know what you think about Gayle’s necklaces in the comments below.

For more ways to live your best life plus all things Oprah, sign up for our newsletter!