Gayle King recently revealed she will travel to outer space on a rocket, but not everyone was thrilled with her announcement.
The news arrived on CBS Mornings through a special movie-style trailer, showing Gayle’s previous remarks about not wanting to go into space.
However, she recently said she decided to partake in Blue Origin’s New Shepard program for a historic flight.
Gayle will be part of an all-women crew on the rocket with journalist and philanthropist Lauren Sanchez, singer Katy Perry, NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.
The space voyage, scheduled for sometime in the spring, generated much excitement amongst CBS Mornings viewers and some of Gayle’s fans.
However, some critics criticized Gayle’s decision to participate in the trip because of her association with Blue Origin and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Gayle shared why she decided to join space mission
Gayle became emotional on CBS Mornings as she spoke about participating in the space mission.
“I have to tell you, I’m so afraid,” Gayle told co-stars Vladimir Duthiers and Tony Dokoupil.
“I am, but I’m also excited by it,” she confessed, mentioning that she thought about it and decided to go after talking with her children and best friend Oprah Winfrey.
“I just thought what a unique opportunity,” she said, regarding the Blue Origin trip and its historic all-women crew.
Gayle admitted during her remarks that going to space was never one of her dreams, but she decided she would try more things that scared her. One is a fear of flying, which is amplified by traveling on a rocket to outer space.
Last year, Gayle faced her severe fear of heights, visiting several attractions in New York City that extend into the sky, providing a unique view of the city.
Critics slammed Gayle’s decision to participate in space flight
Many people recently vented their frustrations in Gayle and CBS Morning’s Instagram comment section. The main criticism of Gayle’s decision appears to be the association with billionaire Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos.
“This is wrong on so many levels. Super disappointed in Gayle,” one commenter wrote.
Another posted, “So disappointed in Gayle colluding with Bezos. I’m now done with her morning show. Thought she had more integrity than that.”
“Gayle?! Girlllll…now you know this mission ain’t meant for you or us,” a commenter wrote.
Another frustrated critic commented, “WTF Gayle?! We’re all out here boycotting Amazon + Whole Foods + WaPo and you’re getting ready to get on this man’s rocket ship and go to space?! Please do not fall for this gimmick.”
The boycott refers to the recent 24-hour “economic blackout.” On Friday, February 28, many consumers protested corporate greed by refusing to shop at big businesses for the day, including Amazon, founded by Bezos.
According to NPR’s report, Bezos’s fiancee, Sanchez, selected the women to participate in this upcoming space mission, the 11th human flight for Blue Origin’s New Shepard program.
NPR indicated that this trip will involve the first all-women crew since 1963, when Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova made a solo trip.
Gayle still has time to back out, but based on her comments on CBS Mornings, she’s excited to participate in a trip many have never experienced.
Remember when the rich people died in the submarine on a selfish vanity trip and nobody was even a little bit sad?