Gayle King is trying to get psyched up for her big trip to space, but William Shatner may not have helped alleviate her fears.
The CBS Mornings star will be on a Blue Origin New Shepard rocket in several weeks for a brief journey to experience space.
She’s joined by five other women in the historic mission, including singer Katy Perry and children’s book author Lauren Sanchez (Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos’s fiancee).
Gayle admitted to being scared about the trip, but also said her children, Will and Kirby, and best friend, Oprah Winfrey, were OK with it.
Shatner, who became famous as Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek television series and movies, appeared on CBS Mornings to discuss taking the trip.
However, Gayle called him out, suggesting he wasn’t helping her stay calm.
Gayle tells Shatner he’s ‘scaring the beep’ out of her
Shatner didn’t just visit space fictionally for Star Trek. He was part of a Blue Origin New Shepard flight in October 2021, featuring only four crew members.
The NS-4 trip included Audrey Powers, Glen de Vries, and Chris Boshuizen.
Gayle is 70, but Shatner went into space at 90 and had some things to tell her about how “chancy, wonderful, and exciting” the experience of visiting space is.
“Gayle, you’re on an adventure,” he told the CBS Mornings host during the interview and joked that she shouldn’t wear the red dress she had on because it was “the color of blood.”
“We don’t want any blood,” Gayle joked back with a hand on her head.
“The g-forces that are gonna be on you, you’re gonna feel like ‘I’m gonna die,'” he said, adding, “But you’re not gonna die, Gayle.”
“You are scaring the beep out of me right now!” Gayle replied amid Shatner’s description.
He continued by mentioning that when he went, he realized that hydrogen was going into the rocket, which is the same thing that caused the Hindenburg disaster years ago.
Gayle’s co-star tried to interrupt, but Shatner kept going until Gayle butted in, asking “Were you nervous?”
“Yes! The nitrogen and going up. That’s frightening, girl,” he told her.
“Embrace the adventure. You’re on an exciting trip that you’ll never get to do again,” Shatner said, suggesting she use some Priceline mantras to calm herself during the trip.
He said they offered everyone a chance to leave before the rocket launched, but Shatner said he wouldn’t give in to fear.
“I thought, ‘I can’t do it.’ I’m Captain Kirk,” he joked.
Gayle also asked fans to be supportive of her
In another segment of the recent CBS Mornings, Gayle spoke about already being nervous enough about her space trip without others adding to it.
She called for individuals who see her in public to support her journey rather than question or criticize her for going.
Gayle began receiving backlash weeks ago after CBS Mornings announced to viewers that she would participate in the historic space trip.
Many of the naysayers expressed fear about taking that trip due to potential issues. However, others called her out for Blue Origin’s association with billionaire Jeff Bezos.
While speaking with Shatner last week, Gayle admitted she is nervous about returning to her seat on the rocket after she leaves it to experience true weightlessness.
“That’s what you’re gonna practice for days on end, and you know what? No matter how you practice, you can’t imitate it,” Shatner said.
He also shared another tidbit with Gayle, telling her she wouldn’t have an opportunity to use a bathroom during the pre-launch interviews, the actual trip to space, and the post-trip media session.
“So they’re gonna give you diapers,” he shared before the interview ended.
Gayle still has a short time to prepare for the brief trip to space. The Origin NS-31 mission launches on Monday, April 14, at 9:30/8:30c (in the morning), with CBS Mornings covering the event.