65 Years Hollywood Actress Kathie Lee Gifford Has Two Children; Know About Her Husband And Family Life
Kathie Lee Gifford married twice and divorced once in her adventurous marital life. She was together with her recent husband for decades before death did them part.
A divorce is never the end of the world. Just because you separated from your partner does not mean you can't find someone better. Often splits lead to something more amazing in store for you.
Kathie Lee Gifford married twice and divorced once in her adventurous marital life. She was together with her recent husband for decades before death did them part.
Kathie Lee Gifford's Married Life With Frank Gifford
Kathie Lee met her second husband Frank Gifford in an episode of ABC's Good Morning America. Frank is a former football star turned actor.
The couple tied the knot on 18th October 1986 in Bridgehampton, New York. Kathie is 20 years younger than her late spouse.
The lovebirds shared two children together, a son named Cody Newton Gifford, and a daughter named Cassidy Erin Gifford.
The pair's married life once survived from the 1997 controversy when a tabloid named the Globe bribed a woman to seduce Frank. They shamelessly published the story later.
Earlier, Frank faced a cheating allegation on his first wife Astrid Gifford. He reportedly had an extra-marital affair with talk show host Johnny Carson's wife Joanne Carson.
The issue was raised again after Frank married the second time. However, his second wife Lee denied the cheating allegations, firmly standing by her partner.
Kathie was so much in love with Frank, there was never a chance an alleged cheating scandal could affect their relationship even a little bit. The couple's beautiful love story was displayed on Entertainment Tonight. You can watch it below:
It goes without saying Kathie Lee loved and supported her husband while balancing her personal life with her professional career in an expert manner.
Sadly the couple could not reach the 30 years mark. They fell short by 2 months as Frank passed away due to poor health on 9th August 2015, exactly a week before his birthday.
It was later revealed Gifford was suffering from Chronic traumatic encephalopathy which was the major cause for his death. Seven weeks after the tragic event, Lee returned as a host of the Today Show.
Following her husband's death, the TV host claimed she is open to dating again. Speaking to Access Live, Kathie said:
"Who doesn’t want to find love again? I think my probability is less, obviously. Some men are afraid of strong women. I wouldn’t be interested in a man like that anyway."
In fact, Lee dated a guy after Frank died but apparently, it did not go too well. She then admitted she isn't too picky about her preferences, before joking she is open to anybody who has their own teeth.
Back in February 2018, Kathie discussed her loneliness following her spouse's death. She said:
“My biggest struggle at this point in my life is loneliness. I’ve lost my parents, my husband is gone now and my children live far away from me. I still live in the same big house where we made a gazillion, million memories. And there are times when I am overwhelmed by loneliness."
The TV host added, she had discovered if she keeps thinking about her loss, she can't pay attention to what she still has. Kathie claimed she doesn't want to live a life of hopelessness.
Kathie Lee Gifford's Previous Marriage With Paul Johnson
Kathie Lee Gifford was previously married to a popular musician named Paul Johnson. The couple shared wedding vows in 1976. They were both the cover stars of many religious magazines thanks to their contribution to Christian music.
Kathie's former husband Paul helped her land a role in Hee Haw Spinoff titled Hee Haw Honeys. However, the entire time Kathie and Paul were together, their marital life was anything but blissful.
In fact, both of them were never truly happy. The marriage came crashing down in 1981 when Johnson moved out of the pair's house.
After seven years of married life, the duo ended up divorcing in 1983. The couple shared no children together.
Kathie Lee Gifford: Quick Facts
- Born on 16th August 1953 in Paris, France.
- Her birth sign is Leo.
- Her parents are Joan Cuttell and Aaron Epstein.
- Her father was a musician and former US Navy Chief Petty Officer while her mother was a singer.
- She was raised in Bowie, Maryland and went to Bowie High School.
- She went to Oral Roberts University where she studied drama and music.
- She co-hosted the talk show Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee alongside Regis Philbin from 1985 to 2000.
- She became the co-host of the fourth hour of NBC's Today in 2008.
- She was a contestant for America's Junior Miss Pageant, representing Maryland.
- She appeared as herself in the TV movie Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! (2015).
- She served as a singer from 1974 to 1978 on Tom Kennedy's game show Name That Tune.
- Her net worth is estimated to be $30 million.
