Gayle King is firing back at critics of her recent Blue Origin space flight, and she’s not holding back.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, the CBS Mornings host addressed the growing backlash surrounding her April 14 launch part of a historic all-women crew that included Katy Perry—with a simple but firm message:
“Number one, Blue Origin is trying to figure out a way to put waste into space to make the Earth better,” King said. “Number two, have you been? Have you been? If you’ve been and you still feel that way after you come back, please, let’s have a conversation.”
The message was crystal clear: critique is welcome but only if you’ve left the atmosphere.
King expressed that she was “very disappointed and very saddened” by the negative reactions she’s seen, including from people she considers friends.
While she didn’t name names, some A-list detractors made their opinions very public.
Olivia Munn questioned the environmental impact of what she called a “gluttonous” 11-minute trip and noted the insensitivity of such an extravagance during a time when “some people can’t afford eggs.”
Olivia Wilde chimed in post-flight, sharing a photo of Katy Perry with the caption:
“Billion dollars bought some good memes, I guess.”
And Emily Ratajkowski went even harder, saying she was “disgusted” by the whole thing in a TikTok video:
“It was ‘beyond parody’ to claim that the event was ‘about Mother Earth’ when you’re going up in a spaceship that is built and paid for by a company that’s singlehandedly destroying the planet.”
In response to the criticism, King also raised the issue of sexism in the public discourse surrounding the mission.
She pointed out that many referred to her experience as a “ride,” something she believes would not have been said had she been a man.
“There was nothing frivolous about what she did,” she insisted.
And while some celebrities took jabs at the mission’s purpose and price tag, King emphasized that the journey had a meaningful impact on others.
“So many women, girls, even men reached out to say, ‘I now think I can go to space too.’”
As for the cost of the trip, Blue Origin declined to say who paid what, though a spokesperson confirmed that some passengers purchased their seats.
Still, as King sees it, the bigger picture is about possibility—and she’s unapologetic about being part of the mission.
Whether it’s about access, optics, or environmental ethics, Gayle’s stance is clear: if you haven’t been to space, maybe don’t come for those who have.
