Legendary talkshow host Phil Donahue dead at 88

The legendary Phil Donahue has died.

In a statement shared by his family, the longtime television host passed following a “long illness.” He was 88 years old.

According to Today, Donahue was surrounded by his family, including his wife Marlo Thomas, who he has been married to for the last 44 years. 

“Groundbreaking TV talk show journalist Phil Donahue died Sunday night at home surrounded by his wife of 44 years Marlo Thomas, his sister, his children, grandchildren and his beloved golden retriever Charlie,” the statement read. “Donahue was 88 years old and passed away peacefully following a long illness.”

In lieu of flowers, the Donahue family asked that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Phil Donahue/Notre Dame Scholarship Fund in his honor.

Donahue was best known for hosting his self named talkshow.

According to NBC, in 2002, Oprah Winfrey praised Donahue for trailblazing a path for her show and others like it. 

“If there had been no Phil Donahue show, there would be no ‘Oprah Winfrey’ show. He was the first to acknowledge that women are interested in more than mascara tips and cake recipes — that we’re intelligent, we’re concerned about the world around us, and we want the best possible lives for ourselves,” she said at the time.

Eventually he became an advocate for women’s rights. In a 2017 interview with NBC’s “Megyn Kelly Today,” Donahue said he was always proud of being known as such.

In the 1960s, “a boss could tell his secretary to walk around the room so he could look at her; poke her in the chest and get away with it. There was nothing she could do about it.” Now, more women than ever are hosting their own talk shows. 

“It reminds me of how far we’ve come, how far women have come,” he said.