You were a daytime host who got it about women. And my mom was always flying off to be with him and then flying back to be with us kids. It didnt take long for a romance to flourish between them, and three years later, in 1980, they got married. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Or well just stay home, make popcorn and watch a movie. Fox News: What compelled you to finally sit down and write What Makes a Marriage Last together?Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue: Last year, we had begun talking about doing something special for our 40th anniversary, when out of the blue, a long-married couple we knew told us they were splitting up. First published on May 3, 2020 / 10:12 AM. The man of caliber, Phil, is often seen in a well-tailored suit. Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas arrive at the American Icon Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on May 19, 2019 | Photo: GettyImages. In addition to being deeply in love, we were also deeply invested in our work, and it was hard to have our marriage and our careers blend at the same time. Talk about putting your marriage to the test! Fox News: How do you keep the romance alive after all this time?Thomas and Donahue: There are many different ways but its always about time carved out together. The pair recently sat down with Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos on the latter two's podcast. How did Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas meet? Most journalists are diplomatically accurate or they know how to maintain a diplomatic relationship with everyone as that is their job. The idea came about when actress and activist Thomas, 82, and talk show pioneer Donahue, 84, were mulling over how to celebrate their 40th anniversary. Phil started dating and I got back together with an old boyfriend, but I was miserable. The show is a series of televised discussions among the citizens of the Soviet Union and the United States. Marlo's teaching Phil to make spaghetti sauce and cutting his hair. Both of us just finally said, We cant do this not to ourselves and not to each other. So we broke up. "It really wasn't an interview," she said. "Having a sick kid, having a bad mother-in-law, losing all your money," Thomas said. She also has a very gentle heart towards children . Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas on their wedding day, 1980. he became the program director for WABJ radio in Adrian, Michigan. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. All rights reserved. As different as these couples stories are, they share a common plotline: that of two people joining hands and stepping up to the most challenging, invigorating, inspiring, infuriating, thrilling, terrifying, delightful and heavenly job on earth making a marriage last, Thomas and Donahue added. We were working and living in different cities, and all of the compromises we were making to accommodate two full and different lives made things so difficult. Editor: Remington Korper. Currently, on the 21st of May 2020, the couple will be celebrating their 40 years of married life. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Marlo Thomas is a married woman. Shes devoted to St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital was founded by Thomas father in 1962. Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas have been married for four decades but they are only opening up about it now. Advertisement. , Choose a City Hall. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. He is renowned as Donahue. He interviewed different personalities including, Jimmy Hoffa Billie Sol Estes John F. Kennedy and Johnny Carson. Net worth: $150 million. #4 New Mexico. Fox News: When did you both realize that the other was The One?Thomas: Ill take this one. Thomas, who wed Donahue when she was 42 and he was 44, makes it clear she was not " waiting to get married"; she was never going to get married. Kenya Moore net worth: Kenya Moore is an American reality television actress and model who has a net worth of $800,000. What makes a marriage last is what you do when youre confronted with the really big stuff, she says. "It was a spontaneous, chemical reaction," Thomas said. What does Phil Donahue do now? ", "Some people are championship fighters," Pauley said. ", Billy Crystal was a substitute teacher; Alan Alda drove a cab. In the meantime, please feel free AL CAPONES GRANDNIECE REACTS TO TOM HARDYS TRANSFORMATION IN NEW TRAILER FOR BIOPIC, (L-R) Comedian Danny Thomas and daughter, actress Marlo Thomas with her husband Phil Donahue. Later, his father remarried Marlo Thomas. Marlo and Phil went on double dates with more than a dozen celebrity couples, and they explain how each couple does it all, from resolving fights to demonstrating kindness and respect in their marriage. Marlo Thomas, an outspoken feminist, was known for fighting back in interviews whenever she visited talk shows and for storming out of sets if she felt her privacy was being invaded. Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue: Last year, we had begun talking about doing something special for our 40th anniversary, when out of the blue, a long-married couple we knew told us they were . Slash Stress with a Good Laugh. Could this happen to us, we thought? Before meeting Thomas, Donahue had a romantic history with his first wife, Margret Cooney, with whom he shares five children. Fans believe she had a bad facelift which is overdone and looks abnormal. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. Marlo Thomas was in a long relationship with playwright Herb Gardner, but they did not get married. ", A double date that began with crackers and cheese, and eventually got down to brass tacks. And to our surprise, we wound up talking about our own relationship a lot as we interviewed these other couples about theirs. The truth is, I didn't think matrimony was so great for women. Marlo Thomas is the daughter of the late Danny Thomas who founded The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Market data provided by Factset. The secret of good communication? And on top of that, Phil had the added pressure of raising his four sons alone. ABC convinced her to do one more year. Phil Donahue hosted a talk show named Conversation Piece. My friend Nancy readily confesses that even though she has been married to the same man for 40 years, she didn't truly fall in love with him until after the kids went off to college, when the two of them had the time to get to know each other. Marlo Thomas recently stepped out with her famous husband for a wedding, and she also paused to pose for a rare social media photo with him. (L-R) Comedian Danny Thomas and daughter, actress Marlo Thomas with her husband Phil Donahue. He hosted the show from 1963 to 1967 on WHIO radio. Actor Marlo Thomas and her husband, legendary talk show host Phil Donahue, are teaming up for a new podcast called "Double Date," inspired by their book, "What Makes a Marriage Last.". 'LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE' STAR CHARLOTTE STEWART SAYS SHE DOES THIS EVERY MORNING DURING QUARANTINE, Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue enjoying a date night in New York City, circa 2015. She then met television host Phil Donahue in 1977 when she was a guest on his talk show 'Donahue.' Thomas later described it as love at first sight. "For many, love really is better the second time around, but for me, the first time has been just fine. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" wins big at SAG Awards, HBO's "Succession" will end with season 4, creator says, Richard Belzer, comedian and "Law & Order: SVU" actor, dies at 78, "The Last of Us" creator Neil Druckmann on the series' success, Ryan Seacrest leaving "Live"; Kelly Ripa's husband, Mark Consuelos, to step in, "What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life". Even at this age the famous sitcom That Girl actress Marlo Thomas looks stunning in her own way. Photo by Chlo Taranto on Unsplash #3 Minnesota. The hospital treats children with diseases such as cancer and provides care for free. They created a blended family, but 12 years later, their marriage reached a crossroads. They married the following year. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories. You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. Phil Donohue and Marlo Thomas pose for a photograph at Gloria Steinem's 50th birthday celebration on May 23, 1984, in New York City. An award-winning actress, producer, social activist and philanthropist, Marlo Thomas has been a role model for women and girls since she blazed the trail as television's first single woman living alone in the . did marlo thomas ever date ted bessell. April 26, 2021, 4:35 AM. Phil Donahue left WHIO-TV in the year 1967 on the 6th of November. Those conversations prompted us to wonder if there really was a secret sauce to a long and enduring marriage and that made us want to find out. Thomas was offered a role in the Hallmark movie A Magical Christmas . Thomas: My parents had a lot of separation in their lives. "Why did he cling so ferociously to the teenage girl he fell in love with when he was a kid?" (Photo by Victor Hugo/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images), Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines for May 6, What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life., Olivia Newton-John's daughter Chloe reveals 'promise' she made to mother before her death, Emma Stones 'And' co-star Willem Dafoe had her slap him 20 times to get scene right, Prince Harry's 'attacks' on 'villain' Camilla led to Frogmore Cottage eviction: expert, Film industry reacts to death of 'Saving Private Ryan' star Tom Sizemore: 'You're a legend', Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves take bumpy second flight after 'CHAOS' on Lufthansa plane: 'Wish me luck'. In the year 1980, he received theprestigious Peabody Award. Mr. Thomas, a Roman Catholic, was long known for his strong religious faith. In 1977, Thomas was a guest on the daytime TV television show called Donahue. How much did Brooklyn Beckhams wedding cost? He received 10 awards forOutstanding Talk Show Host. Book Spring Travel Now and Save Big With These Tips, Dont Throw Away Those Scraps! Of course, being older, we also had challenges that younger people don't face primarily, reconciling two lives that had been lived for a while. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. You and Me.She has received three Primetime Emmy Awards, a Daytime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Peabody Award for her work in television and has been inducted . She chronicles the events that led up to starring in and producing That Girl and discusses the . At least 11 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 18; more than a dozen missing, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. Bush, Duo of 81-year-old women plan to see the world in 80 days, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh trial: What to know about the double murder case, Marlo Thomas & Phil Donahue on the secrets of lasting marriages. Meeting Phil Donahue's Children . The pair do not share any children, even so, she became the step-mom of Phil's five kids, now . After graduation from college. Any issue you can imagine that any marriage could face, in our book they face it.". "One of the things I was impressed with Janice and Billy, and Arlene and Alan Alda, these are guys that had careers that were really going nowhere. Marlo Thomas may be most associated with her famous dad, Danny Thomas, but she was extremely close with her mother, Rose Marie. With Drew Barrymore, Ross Mathews, Phil Donahue, Marlo Thomas. May 3, 2020 / 10:12 AM The real Marlo grew up as a spoiled princess and remained as such the rest of her life. Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas/Ryan Eggold: Directed by Adam Heydt. CHARLIES ANGELS STAR CHERYL LADD RECALLS WORKING WITH TERRIFIC FARRAH FAWCETT: THAT WAS REWARDING, HALLMARK STAR JILL WAGNER EXPLAINS WHY SHE GAVE HER DAUGHTER A PATRIOTIC NAME. "You know very well what it is. Margaret Julia "Marlo" Thomas (born November 21, 1937) is an American actress, producer, author, and social activist. The cause was an aortic aneurysm, his family doctor said. "We trusted our hearts and made the effort," Marlo said. Pauley said, "I think being single and independent was almost your brand. Phil Donahue wasinducted into theAcademy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fameon November 20, 1993. Marlo Thomas coming to the Donahue Show was a big day for us because she was essentially a triple threat, Donahue explained. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails First, she was cast in a leading role in the stage production 'Barefoot in the Park.' . Make an Appointment or Nominate a Day. Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue fell in love on live television and wed over 40 years ago. Learn more. How do I make my town hall wedding special? Then, as you may know, I went on this talk show and met the host: a handsome, charming Irishman named Phil Donahue. Marlo, who never had any biological children of her own, opted to raise her husband's children after Phil's divorce from his ex-wife.