Shortly after the news broke that Kobe Bryant and eight others had been killed in a helicopter
crash on January 26, 2020, fans and celebrities alike took to social media to mourn the death
of the NBA legend.
However, while many were posting touching tributes to Bryant in the hours following
his untimely death, one reporter took the opportunity to remind followers of dark circumstances
surrounding the life of the L.A. Lakers star.
Minutes after it was confirmed that Bryant had passed away, Washington Post reporter
Felicia Sonmez took to Twitter to share a 2016 article titled, "Kobe Bryant's Disturbing
Rape Case: The DNA Evidence, the Accuser's Story, and the Half-Confession."
The since-deleted tweet immediately sparked outrage.
Sonmez responded by tweeting, quote, "Well, THAT was eye-opening."
She also took a moment to justify her decision to repost the news, stating,
"Any public figure is worth remembering in their totality even if that public figure
is beloved and that totality unsettling."
The same day as the incident, The Washington Post suspended Sonmez — and then two days
later, it reinstated her.
After that, mainstream media and media personalities seemed to steer clear of that controversial
piece of Bryant's past — until February 4th.
CBS anchor Gayle King revisited the subject in an interview with Bryant's longtime friend,
WNBA star Lisa Leslie.
The resulting war of words has been loud and dramatic.
"It's been said that his legacy is complicated because of [a] sexual assault charge which
was dismissed in 2003, 2004."
Gayle King took to Instagram to defend herself against a tidal wave of backlash directed
at her Kobe Bryant segment.
In a video captioned "My perspective," the CBS anchor criticized the network for choosing
the clip that it did to promote her interview with Lisa Leslie.
In a widely-seen clip from CBS released on Twitter to promote the interview, which has
since gone viral, King asks Leslie about Bryant's 2003 sexual assault case.
"That's just not the person that I know."
"But Lisa you wouldn't see it, though.
As his friend, you wouldn't see it."
In response to that clip's circulation, and the massive backlash, King said she is, quote,
"mortified," "embarrassed," and "very angry."
She said in the video,
"Unbeknownst to me, my network put up a clip from a very wide-ranging interview — totally
taken out of context — and when you see it that way, it's very jarring.
It's jarring to me.
I didn't even know anything about it.
[...] For the network to take the most salacious part, when taken out of context and put it
up online for people who didn't see the whole interview is very upsetting to me and that's
something I'm going to have to deal with, with them."
King said that she thought Leslie's statement to her about how the media should leave the
topic alone and not use it against Kobe's legacy was a powerful statement, and that
she insisted that part of the interview be aired to make the point.
When the clip was taken out of context, she contends, that point was largely lost.
“It was very powerful when she looked me in the eye as a member of the media to say
'It's time for the media to leave it alone and to back off.'"
Seemingly in response to King's Instagram post, CBS released a statement that seemed
to confirm King's stance.
According to the network,
"Gayle conducted a thoughtful, wide-ranging interview with Lisa Leslie about the legacy
of Kobe Bryant.
An excerpt was posted that did not reflect the nature and tone of the full interview.
We are addressing the internal process that led to this and changes have already been
made."
Regardless of the changes that have allegedly been made, the damage is done.
In her video message, Gayle King said that she didn't know anything about her controversial
interview clip until she started receiving calls about it and reading the backlash directed
at her online.
Celebrities are among those who've bashed the esteemed journalist.
Snoop Dogg, who was one of many celebs to post a touching tribute to Bryant after his
death, took to Instagram to post a video of his own in response to King's clip.
"Gayle King, out of pocket for that s---, way out of pocket.
What do you gain from that?"
The rapper also insinuated that she was asking questions about the wrong people, scrutinizing
celebrities in selective and unfair ways.
"You ain't coming after f------ Harvey Weinstein asking him dumb-- questions.
I get sick of y'all."
The rapper captioned the post:
"P.S.A.
Let the family mourn in peace."
Despite all the backlash, one of King's longtime friends is standing by her side.
During an appearance on Hoda & Jenna & Friends on February 7, Oprah Winfrey opened up to
co-anchor Hoda Kotb about how Gayle King is doing.
"She is not doing well.
May I say she is not?
She is not doing well.
She has now death threats and has to now travel with security."
Winfrey added that her friend, quote, "feels that she was put in a really terrible position."
Despite the controversy, Winfrey is confident that things will get better — it's just
going to take some time.
"Obviously all things pass, she will be okay, but she hasn't slept in two days."
It's clear that Winfrey is trying to be as supportive as she can, helping her longtime
friend navigate the backlash.
“I think everybody has the right to have their opinion, but to do it with such vitriol
is... hate.
And meanness.”
While it seems like King has no choice but to weather the storm, at least she doesn't
have to do it alone.
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