Watch Blue Origin's Spaceflight Launch With Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez, Gayle King and More (2025)

“We respect each other so much,”shesaid on SiriusXM’s Hits 1The Morning Mash Upon March 3. “So, we want to get input from each other, and he Is also all about the journey.”

“That’s the one thing, I really, really admire about him,” she added. “He’s a seeker.”

And she’s not the only one who consulted their loved ones before making this big decision. Before agreeing, Gayle reached out to her three most important people: her children Kirby BumpusandWill Bumpus, and her best friendOprah Winfrey.

“Once Kirby and Will and Oprah were fine with it, I was fine,” theCBS Morningsanchor, who shares her kids with exWilliam Pumpus, shared on the Feb. 27 episode of her show. “I thought Oprah would say no, no. She said, ‘I think if you don’t do it, when they all come back and you had the opportunity to do it, you will be kicking yourself.’ She’s right.”

The TV host admitted that her decision to join the crew came after her milestone 70th birthday, wanting to take a leap of faith.

“This was never my dream,” she continued. “And somebody said, ‘Maybe you need to have new dreams, Gayle.’ I had a big birthday, and I thought I wanted to open myself up to new adventures.”

However, not all reactions to the trip as been positive. OliviaMunnspoke out against the trip, asking onToday With on April 3, “What are you guys gonna do up in space? What are you doing up there?”

“What’s the point? Is it historic that you guys are going on a ride? I think it’s a bit gluttonous,” the actress questioned of the motives behind the Blue Origin launch. “Space exploration was to further our knowledge and to help mankind. What are they gonna do up there that has made it better for us down here?”

While the mission has been met with mixed reactions, Lauren has continued to assert the importance of their flight for future generations. “All of these women are storytellers in their own right,” she told Elle on April 2. “They’re going to go up to space and be able to spread what they felt in different ways.”

As she sees it, this crew would continue to expand the idea of what space exploration can look like. And former rocket scientist Aisha agreed, adding, “This representation really matters. It’s people seeing themselves and being able to show up authentically in their careers in the future.”