Once she decided to go through with the photoshoot she set a few ground rules. She wasn’t going to starve herself and she didn’t want any retouching of her photos, except for “a few dimples on her thighs.”
“My grandmother said to me [when I was little], ‘Mother nature was not as kind to you as she was to other little girls. Maybe you need to start wearing makeup.’ I just never saw myself this way.”
She added, “I know what I look like before I go into hair and makeup, so it’s hard for me to go from that to [the cover]. That’s something I have to process myself.”
King had nothing to worry about.
When she arrived at the photo shoot in Mexico, she said photographer Yu Tsai made her feel like “Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry all rolled into one.”
“I felt so comfortable and cared for that I didn’t even have time to feel self-conscious.”
“I never in a million years thought I would be standing here in a bathing suit for Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit], but here I am, which says to me that sometimes people can dream, God can dream, the universe can dream a bigger dream than you can ever think for yourself,” King told Sports
Illustrated. “I would have never thought this was possible. This was nowhere on my bucket list. So I’m thinking maybe it was a dream that I didn’t even know I wanted because now that I’m here, I want it bad.”
Gayle looks amazing! I think it’s wonderful how Sports Illustrated showcases all different ages, body types, and races in their issue. We’re not all the same, and everyone deserves to be represented.
MY DAUGHTER TOLD ME NOT TO MAKE A FOOL OF MYSELF AFTER I FULFILLED THE DREAM OF MY LIFE
I’m 65. Growing up, I was always under strict rules—first from my parents and then from an abusive husband. But now, finally single with my kids all grown up, I decided it was time to do something just for me. I’ve always dreamt of adding a bit of brightness to my life, so I dyed my hair pink, feeling like I’m embracing the winter of my life with some warmth.
But the moment my daughter saw me, she was furious. She yelled, telling me I looked ridiculous and that I should stay OUT OF SIGHT.
Is it really too much? I’ve never felt so happy and free. But maybe she’s right, and I should act my age instead.
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