Kathie Lee Gifford, the former 'Today' show host, opened up about her health issues and how she wanted to die during that phase.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleTelevision personality, Kathie Lee Gifford, who is best-known for once hosting the Today show, has finally opened up about her health issues. For the unversed, Kathie has been dealing with multiple health issues, including several surgeries since 2024. She has also undergone a hip replacement. Addressing the same, she recently revealed how she wanted to die multiple times, during the painful phase.
A while ago, former Today show host, Kathie Lee Gifford sat down for a candid conversation with People Magazine, during which she addressed her health issues. During the interview, she explained that she had dealt with a lot of pain in her entire life, but the physical pain overshadowed everything else. Recalling the tough period, she also mentioned how she wanted to die multiple times. Kathie was quoted as saying:
"Lord, if this is all you have left for me, I want to go home. I wanted to die a few times. I wasn't going to hurt myself. I wasn't going to kill myself. I just didn't want to be here — as blessed as I am."
Further, Kathie Lee Gifford shared that 2024 was a very difficult year for her. After undergoing a hip replacement, she fractured her same hip while playing with her grandchildren. The injury eventually led to another surgery. Later, she also broke her arm and suffered another fracture. Reportedly, she even underwent cataract surgery. Despite this, Kathie joked about keeping her sense of humour strong. In her words:
"I feel like Mr. Potato Head! One thing falls off and then another. But you have to have a sense of humor about everything. Thank God I've never lost that, even in my bleakest moments. I'm a tough broad. I want to be remembered as somebody that if they only met me one time, they think, ‘She was kind. She made me laugh.’ When I look back on all of these years in this industry, I go, 'I can't believe I didn't fall apart years ago.' I've never abused [my body], I just used it."
Apart from dealing with physical pain, Kathie has also seen a lot of struggles in her personal life. She faced a major setback in 2015, when she lost her husband, Frank Gifford. Reportedly, the NFL and broadcasting legend was 84 years old. Talking about the heartbreaking incident, Kathie, recently shared:
"Frank said to me before he passed, 'When I go somewhere, I know what people are expecting from me. I want to be Frank Gifford when I go out.' I want to be Kathie Lee, the person they expect. I don't want to disappoint people. But when you're in pain, it's so debilitating, and everything's a grimace. I've had emotional pain many times in my life, but never this chronic physical pain where you literally want to go home to Jesus."
Talking about Kathie Lee Gifford’s personal life, the television host was married to Frank and stayed together until the latter’s death. Together, they welcomed two children- son, Cody and daughter, Cassidy. As of 2026, Kathie is a grandmother of five children. If reports are to be believed, Cody and his wife have three children- Frank, Ford and Faith. On the other hand, Cassidy and her husband have two children- Finn and Rosie.
For those unaware, Kathie Lee Gifford is a popular television host, singer and actress, who first rose to fame after performing on Name The Tune. Further, she became a household name for co-hosting Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee. Later, she joined the Today show. It is worth mentioning that currently, Savannah Guthrie is the host of the same. Recently, Kathie filmed a documentary about herself, which is produced by Kris Jenner. Apart from this, she has written several books.
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