Reality TV
Kathie Lee Gifford Candidly Opens up About Being a Widow Three Years After Husband Frank Gifford’s Death
So sad. Kathie Lee Gifford is remembering her late husband, Frank Gifford, nearly three years after his death. On Tuesday, July 24, the TV host opened up about being a widow on Today alongside Hoda Kotb.
“You have a moment where you just accept that you are a widow,” the 64-year-old revealed. “It looks weird to you for the longest time. You don’t define yourself that way.”
The NFL star passed away from natural causes at age 84 in August 2015. “In some ways it seems like yesterday, and in other ways, it seems like 15 [years],” Kathie Lee added of his death. “It’s just weird. You have waves.”
This isn’t the first time Kathie has publicly remembered her late husband of 30 years. On the first anniversary of his death in 2016, she shared an open letter on Today.com to pay tribute to him.
“I’ve gotten through this past year the way I’ve gotten through every day of my life: faithfully trusting God to do what God does, which is to show up, redeem and restore,” she wrote. “God doesn’t promise you a year. He promises you a day at a time. He broke life into 24-hour periods because that’s all we can handle. The next day, you reach for your fresh cup of mercy that you need every bit as much as the day before.”
Kathie Lee proceeded to share details from the day of Frank’s death. “When I found Frank on that beautiful Sunday morning, he was already gone,” she shared. “The look on his face was complete and total wonder. I felt in that moment he saw Jesus, and Jesus took his breath away. That’s the way I want to go.”
The two married in 1986 and have a son, Cody, 28, and a daughter, Cassidy, 24, together. Shortly after Frank’s death, Kathie Lee opened up about how she’s staying strong for her family. “I’m not [just] coping, I’m thriving,” she told Closer at the time. “We are trying to adjust to the new normal, and that will take a while.”
On Today this week, Kathie Lee also revealed she moved her wedding band from her right hand to her left hand. We’re glad to see the mom-of-two coping so well…
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