It's been a few years since Kathie Lee Gifford lost her husband, Frank. The two first started dating in the mid-1980s. Kathie Lee had been married before, but that didn't shake her from the idea of trying again. The two said "I do" in 1986, and the rest is history.
According to Kathie Lee herself, she fell in love with Frank moments after meeting him for the first time. Even though there was a 23-year age gap between them, they ended up having two children, Cody and Cassidy, and being together for nearly 30 years before Frank eventually passed away in 2015 at the age of 84.
Kathie Lee's heartache was immense, and she's still in the process of healing. But she credits friendship with helping her heal.
She opened up in a powerful essay for People's recent Kindness Issue, where she admitted that things were even tougher to handle after her kids had grown and moved out of the house.
"After Frank died and my children moved to California, my beautiful Connecticut home — once so full of laughter, music and dogs barking — started to feel more like a morgue," she wrote, per Today. "That's when a line I included in my movie (Then Came You, released in 2020) first sprang to mind: 'I've got to make new memories or the old ones are going to kill me.'"
Kathie Lee moved to Nashville and became friends with married couple Angie Clawson and Greg McCollum. She credits the two of them for helping her find happiness, stating they "loved me back to life." She was desperate for a fresh start, and Angie and Greg welcomed her immediately.
Kathie Lee shocked some fans of Today when she announced back in 2019 that she was departing the show after 11 years. Her reason was that she wanted to try directing and producing, and she already had some projects in mind — including the aforementioned film Then Came You. When she first announced her departure, she noted that she had originally intended to spend only a year on the show.
But her strong friendship and connection with cohost Hoda Kotb made the job worth staying at, proving further that Kathie Lee really values strong friendships. In a way, they seem to influence her life and career path. Finding new friends after a move can be difficult, especially if you're a nationally known celebrity.
Angie and Greg seemed to immediately understand Kathie Lee's emotions, which made their friendship even stronger. "The two of them understood what I needed as a new widow alone for the first time in decades," she explained. "They gave me a place to stay and even made sure I had a piano so I could tap into the culture of creativity I've found here."
Not only did they make her feel at home, but they also offered to help her out with small projects. "Greg was in the building business, so he's my go-to-guy," Kathie Lee said. "I can't tell you how many times he's unclogged a drain or hung a TV or fixed whatever has gone wrong, which is everything all the time."
Much like her relationships with Hoda and Regis Philbin, Greg and Angie quickly became members of her family. "They've adopted me, and they've continued to care for me. Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself. Angie and Greg loved me back to life, and I will be eternally grateful," she said.
It's a reminder that kindness goes a long way. Sometimes, simple gestures are all that's needed to make someone feel comfortable. Kathie Lee has always credited the people in her life who make her more fulfilled, and it's incredibly sweet that she's formed yet another lifelong, indestructible bond.
Kathie Lee is also proof that you're never too old to make change. She's the type of person who wants to continue creating projects, even if it's something she's never done throughout her career before. And while she'll always hold a special place in her heart for Frank, she's also admitted that she's found a new relationship, proving life does go on.
"I’m in a really special relationship with somebody that is nice and fun and healthy, and so that’s good," she revealed during a guest appearance on Today back in April. "To be in a place where you feel like every aspect of your life is good, that nothing's missing, and that's a beautiful place to be. I'm just so grateful."
Kathie Lee seems to have it all together. Her advice is great for everyone to hear, especially those who've also experienced deep moments of grief over the loss of a loved one. Kathie Lee views her new romance as something that was simply meant to happen later in life.
"We weren't meant to know each other before, it's right now," she said. "We don't know what the future holds at all, but we're having fun today."
