‘I lost my sweetheart’: Friends star mourns her US TV legend husband of 44 years

Phil Donahue has died – and nobody is more heartbroken than the actress who appeared on his talk show, then married him for 44 years.

Actress Marlo Thomas has paid tribute to her late husband, talk show legend Phil Donahue.

Donahue died Sunday night at age 88 following a long illness, his family confirmed to Today.

The Emmy-winning former host of The Phil Donahue Show passed away at home surrounded by his loved ones, including his wife of 44 years, his sister, his children, grandchildren and his golden retriever, Charlie.

Today Thomas, 86, who is best known for starring in the ‘60s and ‘70s sitcom That Girl, posted a lengthy tribute on Instagram with a photo of the couple riding a motorcycle when they were younger.

“I’m sure by now you’ve heard the very sad news that I lost my sweetheart last night,” she began.

Phil Donahue was a groundbreaking TV host.

Thomas, who famously played Jennifer Aniston’s mum, Sandra Green, in Friends, continued, “I know you understand that I’ll be stepping away from this page for a while to take care of myself and the many people who took care of Phil, and held him close to their hearts.”

Donahue’s talk show aired for 28 years, from 1968-1996.

While broadcasting from 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Donahue welcomed major guests on his show, such as Muhammad Ali, Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, Steve Martin and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Donahue was the first person to interview Nelson Mandela following the South African president’s release from prison in 1990. He was also the first American talk show host to tape from the Soviet Union.

Thomas appeared as a guest on his show in 1977 and the couple married in 1980.

US President Joe Biden presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Donahue in May this year. Picture: AFP

It was “love at first sight” when Thomas appeared on Donahue’s talk show in 1977. Picture: Getty

“It was kind of love at first sight,” Thomas recalled on Late Night with Seth Meyers in 2021. “Something chemical happened.”

Donahue had five kids from a previous marriage. He did not share children with Thomas.

In the couple’s 2020 book, What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life, Thomas wrote, “Had Phil and I been younger, we might have been more impatient and missed each other. But being older — me in my late 30s, Phil in his early 40s — we trusted our hearts and made the effort.”

“I lost my sweetheart”: The pair were married for 44 years. Picture: Getty

Thomas added in her lengthy Instagram caption that she didn’t want to “disappear” from social media without thanking the public “for the beautiful messages of love and support that have been coming in all day, and for the wonderful and generous way that you’ve let Phil and me share our life adventure with you over the years.”

Thomas (right) played Jennifer Aniston’s mum on Friends.

She went on to thank all of the couple’s Instagram followers.

“As a man who spent his career loving his audiences, Phil got such a kick out of our cozy little community here, and I know he would be very touched by the heartwarming thoughts and memories you’ve been sharing,” she wrote.

She ended her message saying that until she “returns,” she wishes everyone “good health and happy days in the company of family and friends, and I hope that you will continue to hold close those you cherish most, just as I was blessed to do with my beloved Phillip.”

Thomas signed off, “Love, Marlo.” She also explained that the photo of the couple on the motorcycle she had posted “is one of my favourite photos of Phil and me, taken on vacation.”

This story originally appeared on Page Six and is republished here with permission.

Originally published as ‘I lost my sweetheart’: Friends star mourns her US TV legend husband of 44 years