Talk Show Icon Phil Donahue Dies At Age 88

Sad news in the celebrity world as TMZ is reporting that talk show legend, Phil Donahue has passed away at the age of 88.

His family has confirmed this, and his passing was announced during “The Today Show” in the morning of Monday, August 19.

Phil Donahue Was Surrounded By His Family

A statement was shared on The Today Show, written by Donahue’s loved ones, which included his wife of over four decades, Marlo Thomas.

It was said that those closest to him were by his side when he died, which was reportedly the evening of Sunday, August 18.

It was said that Phil’s passing followed a long battle with an illness, and no other information was provided in regard to the cause of his death.

Phil Donahue’s Talk Show Legacy

Donahue hosted The Phil Donahue Show for 29 years and was known as a trailblazer for television talk shows in this format.

He was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and attended Indiana’s University of Notre Dame.

In the late 1950s, he began his journalism career in radio, and then pivoted to TV.

During his time as an interviewer, he chatted with a number of high-profile individuals including Malcom X, Johnny Carson, and President John F. Kennedy – just to name a few.

He began The Phil Donahue Show in 1967, and the series was rebranded to simply “Donahue” in 1974 after he moved to a new station in Chicago.

Phil was honored for his incredible talk-show-journalistic career by receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden back in May of this year.

Donahue had his fair share of heartache during his life, though.

In 2014, his youngest son, James Donahue, died at the age of 51 after an aortic aneurysm.

Donahue is survived by his wife, Marlo, children, grandchildren, and his beloved golden retriever Charlie.

On behalf of everyone here, we send our deepest condolences to Phil Donahue’s family, loved ones, friends, and fans.

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