Marlo Thomas Makes 1st Public Appearance Since Husband Phil Donahue's Death 8 Months Ago
Marlo Thomas stepped out on the red carpet at Family Equality's Night at the Pier eight months after the death of her husband, Phil Donahue. This marked the actress' first public appearance since losing her longtime spouse.
At the event on Monday, May 12, Marlo, 87, walked the red carpet in a pink dress, posing for photos in front of the cameras. Once inside of the New York City-based gathering, she took the stage with Demi Moore and Debbie Harry to present the Luigi Caiola Luminary Award to Jason Weinberg and Merritt Johnson. She flashed a smile as Demi, 62, addressed the crowd.
Phil died on August 18, 2024, at age 88 from a long illness. After her husband's death, Marlo opened up in an Instagram post about the loss on August 19, 2024, sharing a throwback photo with her late husband.
'Hello, Friends. I'm sure by now you've heard the very sad news that I lost my sweetheart last night, so 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,' she captioned the post.
'But I didn't want to disappear without saying thank you 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 year,' the Friends alum continued. '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.'
'Until I return, I wish you 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,' she concluded. 'Love, Marlo P.S. This is one of my favorite photos of Phil and me, taken on vacation.'
In the months that followed, Marlo did not appear for her usual segment on Today for St. Jude's Thanks & Giving series that she does annually. The That Girl actress' brother, Tony Thomas, appeared in her place while she remained out of the public eye to grieve the loss of her husband.
"For the first time in the 21 years of our series, Marlo is not with us this morning. She's taking some time off after the loss of her beloved husband, Phil Donahue,' host Savannah Guthrie told viewers at home in November 2024.
Tony said that Marlo was "doing as best to be expected' in the wake of her husband's death.
"She loved her guy, that was a 44-year marriage that was a true love affair," he remarked.
"Everybody that called me said, 'I can't believe their marriage was such a love affair and the chemistry.' It was … they were very, very close and I believe it's going [to be] awhile before she can handle this,' Tony added of his sister's marriage to the late talk show host.
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Still, he wonders if many nondenominational Christians would be the kinds of fans that would enjoy a book like 'Youth Group' or 'Preacher,' a late-1990s comic about an evangelical pastor who ends up possessed by a supernatural being. David Canham, who reviews comics for the secular pop-culture website AIPT — short for 'Adventures in Poor Taste' — had mixed feelings about 'Youth Group.' 'First off, there's plenty of '90s nostalgia — a good-natured tongue-in-cheek look back at many of the silly and absurd things about '90s culture, with a focus on evangelical Christian culture,' he wrote when the book came out. ''Youth Group' delivers on this point.' But the book's take on pluralism — the idea that all religion is on the same side — turned him off as an evangelical Christian. 'I don't want to recommend a book that promotes a worldview that so strongly disagrees with my own beliefs,' he wrote. At first, Morris said he was worried the book might offend Christians and atheists alike. 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'There are a lot of wonderful memories, and there's a lot of stuff that gives me the ick,' he said. 'I hope that's in the book. I hope you can see how a religious upbringing can be upsetting and wonderful — comforting but also makes you mad.'
