Kathie Lee Gifford Speaks About How Late Husband’s ‘Very Painful’ Affair And How She Found Forgiveness
Reflecting on love, loss, and forgiveness, Kathie Lee Gifford bared her soul in a candid interview with Entertainment Tonight. The former TODAY anchor, 70, delves into the depths of her heart in her upcoming book, I Want to Matter: Your Life Is Too Short and Too Precious to Waste, hitting shelves on April 30.
It’s been nearly ten years since the passing of her beloved husband, Frank Gifford, in 2015. Yet, the wounds of his infidelity still linger, haunting her with painful memories. Kathie bravely admits that the betrayal tested her faith profoundly.
“My faith was definitely tested the most during the whole year dealing with Frank’s infidelity because I thought that I had finally found my soulmate,” she told the outlet.
Married in 1986, Kathie and Frank shared a life together, raising their children Cody and Cassidy. However, in 1997, the shadow of infidelity cast its darkness upon their union when Frank’s affair with Suzen Johnson, a former flight attendant, was exposed by the media.
In her raw and unfiltered conversation with ET, Kathie reveals her inner struggle with bitterness and anger.
“I could have let the seed germinate but I don’t want to be that person, that bitter, angry, unhappy, miserable human being ’cause you know what you end up doing? You end up making everybody around you every bit as miserable,” she reflected, adding, “I have always felt from my earliest youth that I had the choice every day of my life to be a blessing or a burden and I want to be a blessing.”
But Kathie’s journey extends beyond forgiveness; it’s also about knowing when to walk away. Drawing from her six decades in the entertainment industry, she shares insights on recognizing the right moment to bid adieu, whether it’s from a TV show or a toxic relationship.
Her departure from Live with Regis and Kathie Lee and later from Kathie Lee and Hoda wasn’t merely a career move; it was a spiritual one. Each exit, she reveals, was preceded by deep prayer and introspection, despite her initial disbelief at her own success, marked by four Emmy wins.
Yet, amidst the pain and struggle, Kathie finds solace in cherished memories. Despite Frank’s imperfections, she told PEOPLE years ago that remembers him as a kind, generous soul, both as a friend and a husband.
In her words, “He was a very good, dear, gentle, generous man. So many things about him that I valued as my friend, I continued to value in him as my husband and the father of my children. But the person you loved the most in your life is the person that can hurt you the most.”
