🚀💥“Gayle King BLASTS Back at ‘Cranky Yankees’ 😤 and SHADY Celebrity Friends 🤯 After Her Space Flight Sparks BACKLASH 🌍👀 — Is This Empowering or Just Glorified Space Tourism? 💸🌌 What She Said Will Leave You SHOCKED… and Maybe Inspired 🤔🔥”

By USA Daily Buzz | April 22, 2025

TV legend Gayle King is firing back—hard—after facing what she called “disrespectful” backlash over her recent journey to space aboard a Blue Origin rocket.

The “CBS Mornings” anchor joined a high-profile, all-female crew—including Katy Perry and Lauren Sánchez, fiancée of Jeff Bezos—on what was marketed as a historic mission for gender representation in space. But instead of universal praise, King’s space adventure sparked online fury and shade from some unlikely places… including her own celebrity friends.

In a candid sit-down with Extra, King addressed critics head-on:

“I wish people would do more due diligence. And then my question is, ‘Have y’all been to space?’”

King didn’t hold back, especially when pointing out what she believes is a double standard.

“You never see a male astronaut get told, ‘Oh, he took a ride.’ It’s always called a flight or a mission. But with us, it’s a ‘ride’? That’s disrespectful to the mission and to Blue Origin.”

Some backlash came from unexpected places—celebrity friends who accused the mission of being tone-deaf during tough economic times. Actress Olivia Munn slammed the flight as “gluttonous,” questioning why millions were spent while “people can’t afford eggs.”

King pushed back, saying she used to feel the same way—until she learned more.

“I was one of those people before I became educated,” she said. “But Blue Origin is trying to use space tech to benefit Earth—waste management, GPS innovation, satellites. It’s not just for fun.”

Perry and Sánchez echoed similar sentiments post-landing, with Sánchez saying critics “don’t understand what’s happening here” and praising the passion of the thousands of Blue Origin employees.

Still, many critics called the 11-minute suborbital flight more of a marketing stunt than a scientific mission. Others mocked Perry for kissing the ground upon return.

But for King, the mission was deeply personal—and powerful.

“I know there are cranky Yankees, I know there are some haters,” she laughed. “But I’m not gonna let people steal my joy or the joy of what we accomplished. I’m just not.”

Even with the heat, King remains unapologetic—and passionate about her place in the stars.

“This wasn’t about ego. It was about inspiration. If one little girl looks at us and says, ‘Maybe I can go to space too,’ then it’s worth it.”