Kathie Lee Gifford fought back tears as she addressed her own mortality while honoring a close friend.
On Tuesday, Gifford, 71, spoke at City of Hope’s Spirit of Life Luncheon. There, she honored her good friend and former Today show costar, Jill Martin, 49.
Gifford Becomes Emotional During Speech
Gifford had a hip replacement last year. That’s why she was helped onstage by Martin at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Gifford admitted that this was at the behest of her “personal therapist’s orders.”
Gifford was quick to gush over Martin, describing her as “one of my favorite people on the entire planet.” In fact, she said that Martin is one of the only people who could make her return to New York from her new home in Tennessee.
“Over the years, our friendship has deepened us,” Gifford said. “Many do, if you are blessed. And honestly, I think about Jill and I smile even when she was going through her journey and she still is. We would get on the phone together and we pray and we’d laugh. I thank her for what she was doing for others.”
Gifford went on to urge her audience to “be there for people” and “whatever their journey is because it might change the next day.”
Gifford became visibly emotional as she addressed her own mortality. Indeed, her voice trembled and she fought back tears as she talked about her own life.
“So when I say that Jill will be my friend for life, I mean it,” Gifford stated. “She will be there for me and I will be there for her.”
“I’ll probably go a lot sooner,” she confessed. “In fact, tick-tock, I better get off the stage.”
Gifford couldn’t help but laugh as her speech came to an end. Martin then took the stage herself to speak.
Gifford’s Health Challenges
This comes after Gifford was forced to contend with various health challenges over the past year. In June of 2024, Gifford underwent a “serious” and “total” hip replacement surgery. This left her in “agonizing pain.”
While recovering from this surgery, Gifford suffered a brutal fall that resulted in her breaking her pelvis in two places. This left her hospitalized for over a week.
“I’ve had a really, really tough last three years with parts of my body that have just worn out because I did so much in my life,” Gifford told OK! Magazine last week.
“I had my hip replaced, I had my shoulder done – that was from an old injury that finally got so bad, I couldn’t ignore it anymore,” she added. “Yet my health is perfect! I am crumbling!”
Full Story: Kathie Lee Gifford, 70, Rushed To Hospital After Fracturing Her Pelvis In Devastating Fall
Watch Gifford talk more about this last year in the video below.
Meanwhile, Gifford’s “friend for life” Martin is celebrating being “cancer free.” This comes two years after she was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer.
“Kathie is one of the people who taught me about being able to hold opposing things at the same time and so you can be super happy and super sad, and so that’s how I feel today,” Martin said.
Gifford was quick to agree.
“You can mourn and rejoice at the same time,” she explained. “That’s what happened when I found my husband after his massive heart attack. I knew he saw Jesus and Jesus took his breath away so I knew exactly where he was.”
Related: Kathie Lee Gifford Reveals How Her Christian Faith Helped Her Forgive Her Husband
Gifford’s Husband’s Death
Gifford’s NFL legend husband Frank Gifford died in August of 2015 at their Connecticut home. He was 84 years-old. Prior to his death, he had been married to Gifford for nearly 30 years.
“People can say, you know, you can look at something as a loss or you can look at what you still have and rejoice,” Gifford concluded. “It’s the glimmers [in life].”
Gifford has long been known as one of the only openly devout Christians in the entertainment world. She may think that she doesn’t have long left, but we wouldn’t be surprised if Gifford has many decades of life ahead of her.
In the end, Gifford is one strong woman who has God on her side. You can never underestimate the longevity of someone like that!
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