Oprah Reveals She 'Couldn't Have Remained Friends' With Gayle King If This Happened

For the upcoming September issue of Oprah Winfrey's "O, The Oprah Magazine," both Winfrey and long-time friend Gayle King grace the cover. This marks the first time that King has appeared in the publication as a cover star, and for the issue, the two women discuss their close friendship and being there for each other through career transitions.

As reported by People, Oprah opened up in the issue about how the "CBS This Morning" host has always supported her and never let her meteoric rise following "The Oprah Winfrey Show" get in the way of their friendship. Now, according to the mogul, she gets to repay the favor as King is finding her own successful path in morning news.

The photo for the cover, which was shared to the official Instagram account for Oprah's magazine, can be seen below.

"Now that Gayle's a shining star on 'CBS This Morning,' people often ask her how she felt being in the shadow of my success. The truth is, she always felt not a shadow but the light," she said, adding, "We couldn't have remained friends if she'd perceived it as a shadow. I would have sensed that, and I wouldn't have been able to be as open."

Continuing, she said, "A true friend can't be jealous of you, or want to take advantage of you in any way."

Oprah's praise of her long-time friend comes on the heels of the host signing a new contract with the morning show that she co-anchors with Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil.

As for how "The Color Purple" actress views the trajectory that her friend's career has taken, she says it doesn't surprise her as "excellence cannot be denied," adding, "What surprises me is that it took them so long to figure it out, everybody else so long to see it."

The September issue of "O, The Oprah Magazine" will hit newsstands Aug. 13