Gayle King downplayed rumors of her potential CBS Mornings exit while speaking to TMZ on Friday (October 31).

King, 70, said network executives assured her she's doing "a great job" and remains "well-liked" at CBS, having served as the show's host since its debut in 2021.

“All I can say is this: From what I’m being told inside this building … all I’ve been told by everybody in this building is that they want me here, they like the job I’m doing, I like the job I’m doing!” she said while leaving the show's studio.

“I’ll say this: I like the job and the people that I work with, so I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t know what to tell you about it,” King added.

The veteran journalist's comments came after Variety reported that she could potentially step down next year to take another role within the network. CBS News publicly denied the report in a statement shared on Thursday (October 30) claiming “there have been no discussions with Gayle about her contract that runs through May 2026" and called her "a truly valued part of CBS," adding that it looked forward to "engaging with her about the future" via the New York Post.

Speculation on King's future with CBS News coincided with the network's decision to name The Free Press co-founder Bari Weiss as its new editor-in-chief upon Paramount Skydance's purchasing her online news and commentary outlet earlier this month. Weiss' new role as CBS News' editor-in-chief will "shape editorial priorities, champion core values across platforms, and lead innovation in how the organization reports and delivers the news," working alongside CBS News President Tom Cibrowski, with their partnership reflecting "Paramount's recognition that the future of CBS News as a dynamic, multi-platform newsroom requires unified editorial leadership across television, streaming, digital, audio, social media, and events," according to CBS News.

Many have speculated that Weiss' role could lead to potential shake-ups and layoffs, with King's annual contract -- reported to be between $13 million to $15 million -- set to expire in May.

Bill Handel