Kathie Lee Gifford Says She ‘Hoped to Find the Man’ of Her ‘Dreams’ on New Year’s Eve

Is Kathie Lee Gifford looking for love? The Today shared a post on Instagram on Friday, January 3, sharing an update about her love life.

“I had hoped to find the man of my dreams on New Year’s Eve, but this is what I ended up with! Hope you had a great one,” she wrote alongside a photo of herself posing in front of an art sculpture that was shaped like a man. “Thank you, Tom Morales (@tomfmorales) for having us at your hopping new restaurant @saffirerestaurant in @thefactoryatfranklin. You know how to throw a party.”

“Enjoy your kids and grandkids! Mr you know who could show up anytime!! Keep the faith!” one person wrote in a comment, while another said, “Don’t give up gorgeous!”

Kathie Lee, 71, was married to Frank Gifford from 1986 until his death in 2015. In April 2024, she revealed that she was single after her quiet breakup from boyfriend Richard Spitz. The pair had begun dating after she moved to Nashville in 2019.

“Kathie Lee was in love with Richard, and she liked having someone to share things with, but it just didn’t work out,” an insider told Closer in March 2024.

The split helped her realize the things that she wants to prioritize in her life, including her own happiness.

“My new mantra was going to be my joy is non-negotiable. I’ll negotiate time. I’ll negotiate money with you. But my joy, I can’t,” she told People. “I was in a relationship for several years that just ended recently. And you know, it’s always hard because when you love someone, you love someone deeply. It’s something you miss when it doesn’t last.”

“You aren’t supposed to marry everyone you fall in love with. And I don’t want to love easily,” Kathie Lee, who shares kids Cody and Cassidy Gifford with Frank, said. “I’ve been loved three times in my entire life. It’s the people who have meant something deep and powerful in your life that are the hardest things to get over.”

But the singer-songwriter made it known that if she ever gets into a relationship again, she aims to keep the details private.

“You don’t know what’s going on in my personal life,” she told Entertainment Tonight in April 2024. “You don’t know. Nobody does.”

“I’m so convinced that if the Lord brings another beautiful man into my life, I am not going to talk about it,” the grandmother of three added. “We’ll probably get married privately and tell the world a year later so that nobody’s opinion matters.”

Kathie Lee also shot down rumors that she would be the next leading lady on The Golden Bachelorette.

“I’m not getting in the hot tub with anybody. And I don’t believe that I could, in a matter of weeks, fall madly in love with somebody,” she remarked about the reality show. “For me, it would never work that way.”

“I vote for Hoda!” she said, nominating Today’s Hoda Kotb, who is single, for the role.