Oprah Winfrey and her BFF Gayle King are closer than close. They tell each other everything and Oprah refers to her frequently as “my best friend Gayle” on the show.

Due to their close knit friendship, rumors have circulated over the years that the two are way more than just friends. Some have gone so far as to state that Oprah & Gayle are lesbian lovers. I’ve never understood why some people question a close female relationship as sexual… everybody is not dayum ghay!

Oprah speaks candidly to Barbara Walters and tearfully explains her deep connection to her best friend. She also confronts those lesbian rumors head on as well as discusses why she’s so hush hush about Steadman Graham.

Check out a video preview of the interview below:

VIDEO: Oprah Discusses Gayle King/Steadman on Barbara Walters

The talk show queen sheds tears as she explains their close connection:

“She is … the mother I never had. She is … the sister everybody would want. She is… the friend that everybody deserves. I don’t know a better person.

It’s making me cry because I’m thinking about how much I probably have never told her that.

When asked about the lesbian rumors, Oprah replies:

“I have said we are NOT gay enough times. I’m not a lesbian. I’m not even kind of a lesbian. And the reason why it irritates me is because it means that somebody must think I’m lying. That’s number one. Number two … why would you want to hide it? That is not the way I run my life.”

Oprah also opened up about Steadman Graham, her companion of 25 years.? Oprah has often stated that she’ll never get married, however the two are still very much a couple even though they are rarely seen out and about.

Oprah explains to Barbara that they’re rarely seen in public together because…

“Every time we showed up in public, there’d be an explosive story, so I made a conscious effort to pull back on my public appearances with Steadman,” but she does confirm that they are still very much a couple and Steadman remains the love of her life, referring to him as? “The love, the lover, the man, the partner, the mate.”

The full interview, “A Barbara Walters Special: Oprah, The Next Chapter,” airs Thursday on ABC.