As audiences continue to partake in Megan Thee Stallion’s new documentary, “Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words” on Prime Video, a particular tidbit involving Gayle King is taking centerstage.
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As you might remember, back in April 2022, the two sat down for an interview on “CBS Mornings,” marking her first major, televised talk about the 2020 shooting at the hands of fellow rapper and singer Tory Lanez. And while the conversation mostly revolved around that crime and how it transpired, the part of the interview that’s now back under the microscope thanks to documentary is when King asked the Houston rapper (legally Megan Pete) whether or not she actually slept with Lanez. As you well know by now, Megan lied to King and said she never did, but in her new doc—and during the shooting trial in 2023—she revealed that she actually had during one or two drunk occasions.
And while folks online are rightfully questioning why the “Bigger in Texas” rapper hid that initially in her conversation with King, others are questioning the relevancy of the question in the first place and pointing fingers at the seasoned and decorated journalist for asking an intrusive question that had nothing to do with the actual crime that was committed against Megan.
“The bigger question is- why would Gayle King ask a survivor if she had sex with her abuser? Disgusting and inappropriate question for an interview about Megan being shot,” wrote one user on X/Twitter.
“Don’t know the huge discourse about megan saying she had sexual relations with t*ry is about especially since this came out in the court when she took the stand . the problem is gayle asking that question like it made a difference,” another wrote.
“I would’ve absolutely pushed back at Gayle on that question. Meg was caught off guard thinking she was in a safe space and she wasn’t. Should’ve asked Miss King, ‘And if I did? Is that a reason for him to shoot me? Have you ever been hurt by someone you slept with Gayle?’” said one user.
“Yeah in retrospect, Gayle King asking Megan about any type of sexual relationship with Tory was problematic af and calculated lmao. cuz why are you asking that???” another said.
The aforementioned tweets do well to illustrate the difference between journalistic standards of the past and journalistic standards today. Sixty years ago, it would be virtually unheard of and extremely taboo for a journalist to delve into a public figure’s private life in the way they’re delved into now.
The Evolution of Journalist Sticking Their Nose in Everyone’s Private Business:
And while there’s a reasonable expectation for the right to privacy that most public figures have—somehow over the years—the ins and outs of their personal lives, specifically who they do and don’t deal with has become more and more of an acceptable hot topic. Whether that’s due to the salacious revelations from political and entertaining figures (looking at you former President Clinton and O.J Simpson) over the years that drove up readership for news outlets and platforms, there was a marked shift in the line of questioning for journalists that somehow made it okay for those taboo topics to get more airtime.
How #MeToo Changed Things:
But as years have gone by and movements like the #MeToo movement—which helped usher in calls for transparency and a pulling back of a curtain against people accused of certain crimes—arose, those who witnessed the movement’s growth and the generations after pushed for a reexamining of conversations around sensitive topics like assault, sex, and privacy.
This, in turn, challenged the tacit mandate and expectation for journalists to get talent to lay all things out in the open for all to see—as questions about ethical fairness involving women and the harm done to them began to outweigh the desire for exploitative content.
Old School Journalism Getting the Side-eye
Essentially, what was cool to ask back then has now become uncool and uncomfortably invasive.
To be clear: Megan was the victim who got harmed by her assailant, Lanez. Who she did or didn’t sleep with should have no bearing on her getting justice. Having sex isn’t a crime, shooting someone is. King shouldn’t have asked whether or not they slept together because it truly shouldn’t and doesn’t matter. But thanks to that question and Megan’s subsequent lie, folks are using that as justification for the “Hiss” rapper’s harm. But if exactly what happened to Megan happened to, let’s say, Taylor Swift or Sabrina Carpenter or Charlie XCX—would that question have even come up in the first place? And if your answer is no, then you ought to examine why.
Yes, Megan is proudly open about her sex life, but that isn’t a reason for someone to commit a crime against her. Nor does it give justification for someone like King to ask about her sex life during a conversation that was supposed to be about said crime when it has no bearing. King unfortunately crossed the line but the good news is that this will hopefully pawn more conversations about journalistic ethics, misogyny, and justice.
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