By Anna Kaplan and Elizabeth Maline
Phil Donahue, the legendary TV talk show host, passed away on Sunday night at the age of 88 following a long illness, according to a statement from his family. He was surrounded by loved ones, including his wife of 44 years, actor Marlo Thomas, his sister, children, grandchildren, and his cherished golden retriever, Charlie, at the time of his passing.
The family did not disclose further details about the cause of his death.
The news was announced on Monday morning by Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones during the 3rd hour of TODAY. “You know, we overuse sometimes the word trailblazer, but he certainly was, indeed,” Sheinelle remarked.
Donahue was a trailblazer in the television industry, pioneering the modern format of issue-based daytime talk shows that included audience participation. His show, which became one of the most influential programs of its time, earned him nine Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Host.
Born in 1935 in Cleveland, Donahue began his journalism career in radio during the 1950s. He married his first wife, Margaret Mary Cooney, in 1958, and they had five children together before divorcing in 1975.
In 1967, Donahue began hosting “The Phil Donahue Show” in Ohio, featuring a live studio audience. The show quickly gained popularity, was syndicated nationally, and eventually moved to Chicago before settling in New York City in 1985. The show, later renamed simply “Donahue,” aired its final episode in 1996, concluding an impressive 29-year run.
Donahue met Marlo Thomas in 1977 while filming an episode of his show, and the two described their connection as “love at first sight” in later interviews. They married in 1980.
In addition to his iconic talk show, Donahue was a regular contributor to TODAY from 1979 to 1988. Thomas, an Emmy-winning actor and the national outreach director for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, has also appeared on TODAY.
In 2022, Thomas shared an update about Donahue during the 3rd hour of TODAY, telling Craig, Sheinelle, Al Roker, and Dylan Dreyer that he still enjoyed watching talk shows and often shouted at the TV, “That’s not the question!”—a comment that sent the hosts into laughter.
Donahue briefly returned to television in 2002 with a show on MSNBC called "Donahue," but it was canceled after several months.
In May, President Joe Biden awarded Donahue the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, recognizing his “exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors,” as stated by the White House.
In lieu of flowers, Donahue’s family has requested that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Phil Donahue/Notre Dame Scholarship Fund.
