Gayle King Defends Blue Origin Spaceflight After Backlash: “I’m Not Letting Anyone Steal My Joy”

Gayle King isn’t letting critics drag down what she says was a life-changing moment. After taking an eight-minute flight into space with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin — alongside Katy Perry and Lauren Sánchez — the CBS anchor is now firing back at the wave of backlash from celebrities and social media calling the trip “gluttonous,” “tone-deaf,” and “pointless.”

“I was one of those people, too,” King admitted in a post-flight interview. “I used to think, ‘Why are we spending so much money on space when there’s so much to do on Earth?’” But that changed when she learned what Blue Origin is actually working toward. “Their mission is to take Earth’s waste and put it in space so we can make Earth a better place,” she said. “We already use space technology every day — GPS, satellites. Every flight gives us something new.”

She didn’t hold back on the critics either, especially those who haven’t taken the time to learn what the flight was actually about. “I wish people would do more due diligence,” she said. “Then my question is, have you been to space? Go see it, then come back and tell me it’s a terrible thing.”

That wasn’t all. She also addressed the way her trip has been dismissed by others, including fellow celebrities. Olivia Munn called it “gluttonous.” Amy Schumer and Olivia Wilde threw shade. And Gayle’s not having it — especially when it comes to the way women astronauts are talked about differently. “You never see a man go to space and hear people say he took a ‘ride,’” she said. “They say ‘flight’ or ‘journey.’ But for us? It’s called a ride. That’s disrespectful.”

The cost of a Blue Origin flight still isn’t public, but King admitted it’s expensive. Still, she said it doesn’t have to stay that way. “If enough people get interested, that price can come down. That’s how these things work.”

At the end of the day, King said she’s proud of what they accomplished — even if some of her own peers are throwing shade. “I know there are cranky Yankees. I know there are haters,” she said. “But I’m not going to let anyone steal my joy. Not today. Not ever.”