Marlo Thomas missed the Today Show St Jude’s special on Monday for the first time in 21 years as she continues to mourn the death of her husband Phil Donahue.
Donahue died in August at the age of 88. He and the Friends actress, 87, were married for 44 years.
Thomas, the national outreach director of St. Jude pediatric research hospital that her father Danny Thomas founded in 1962, was absent from the annual Today Show segment to kick off the hospital’s Thanks & Giving series.
Her brother Tony Thomas took her place on the show while Savannah Guthrie said: “For the first time in the 21 years of our series, Marlo is not with us this morning. She is taking some time off after the loss of her beloved husband, Phil Donahue.”
Tony said: “She loved her husband, that was a 44-year marriage that was a true love affair.
“Everyone who called me said, ‘I can’t believe their marriage was such love and chemistry.’ It was… they were very, very close and I believe it’s going to happen [to be] a while before she can handle this.”
Marlo Thomas missed the Today Show St Jude’s special for the first time in 21 years on Monday as she continues to mourn the death of her husband Phil Donahue – photo 2019
He added that Thomas will “come back next year” for the fundraising campaign.
Guthrie told Tony to ‘give’ [Marlo] our love, absolutely. We know she will be very proud that you are here talking about the work of St. Jude, which means so much to her and to you.”… “If Marlo is watching, we love you.”
The host of The Phil Donahue Show died surrounded by family members, including his actress wife, at his home.
She wrote further Instagramalong with a sweet photo of the couple riding motorcycles together on holiday: ‘I’m sure by now you’ve heard the sad news that I lost my loved one last night.
“I know you understand that I will be stepping away from this page for a while to care for myself and the many people who have cared for Phil and held him close to their hearts.
“But I didn’t want to disappear without saying thank you for the beautiful messages of love and support that have been coming in all day long,” the actress said.
‘[A]and for the wonderful and generous way in which you have allowed Phil and I to share our life’s adventure with you over the years.”
She continued, “As a man who loved his audience throughout his career, Phil got such a kick out of our fun little community [on social media]and I know he would be deeply touched by the heartwarming thoughts and memories you shared.
Her brother Tony Thomas took her place on the show while Savannah Guthrie said: “For the first time in the 21 years of our series, Marlo is not with us this morning. She is taking some time off after the loss of her beloved husband, Phil Donahue
The host of The Phil Donahue Show died surrounded by family members, including his actress wife, in his home – photo 1996
‘Until I return, I wish you good health and happy days in the company of family and friends, and I hope that you will continue to hold those you cherish most close to you, just as I am blessed to do with my beloved Phillip,” Donahue said. second woman said.
“Love, Marlo,” she gestured further, sharing a vintage photo of the couple on a European holiday.
“PS This is one of my favorite photos of Phil and I,” she wrote. ‘[T]aachen on holiday.’
The pair actually met on the set of his show in 1977 – with Donahue as host and Thomas as guest.
The two would marry just three years later, following the “instant chemistry” Thomas felt with the TV host, she revealed in a 2015 message to Gacebook.
“Phil and I met on his talk show ‘Donahue’ in 1977,” wrote Thomas, who continues to act and produce to this day.
“He flirted, I giggled, and his TV audience watched us fall in love.”
The pair (seen here on the set of the Phil Donahue show) actually met on the program in 1977 – with Donahue the host and Thomas his guest
The couple would go on to marry in 1980 and have five children.
Meanwhile, the show continued, with Donahue hosting big names like Bill Clinton, Muhammad Ali, Johnny Carson, Ayn Rand and Nelson Mandela on his groundbreaking show over the course of sixteen more years.
He would also win twenty Emmys: ten for outstanding host and ten for overall show.