Marlo Thomas misses Thanksgiving TV special for first time in 21 years after death of her husband Phil Donahue

Marlo Thomas missed the Today Show St Jude’s special for the first time in 21 years on Monday as she continues to mourn the death of her husband Phil Donahue.

Donahue died aged 88 in August – he and the Friends actress, 87, were married for 44 years.

Thomas, who is the national outreach director at the children’s research hospital St. Jude which her father Danny Thomas, founded in 1962, was absent from the annual Today Show segment to begin the hospital’s Thanks & Giving series.

Her brother Tony Thomas took her place on the show with Savannah Guthrie saying: ‘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.’

Tony said: ‘She loved her guy, that was a 44-year marriage that was a true love affair.

‘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.’

Marlo Thomas missed the Today Show St Jude’s special for the first time in 21 years on Monday as she continues to mourn the death of her husband Phil Donahue  – pictured 2019

He added that Thomas  ‘will be back next year’ for the fundraising campaign.

Guthrie told Tony to ‘give [Marlo] our love, absolutely. We know that she will be very proud that you’re here talking about the work of St. Jude, which means so much to her and to you’… ‘If Marlo’s watching, we love you.’

The host of The Phil Donahue Show passed away surrounded by relatives, including his actress wife, at his home. 

She wrote on Instagram, along with a sweet photo of the pair riding a motorbike together on vacation: ‘I’m sure by now you’ve heard the very sad news that I lost my sweetheart last night.

‘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.

‘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,’ the actress disclaimed.

‘[A]nd for the wonderful and generous way that you’ve let Phil and me share our life adventure with you over the years.’

She continued:  ‘As a man who spent his career loving his audiences, Phil got such a kick out of our cozy little community [on social media], and I know he would be very touched by the heartwarming thoughts and memories you’ve been sharing.

Her brother Tony Thomas took her place on the show with Savannah Guthrie saying: ‘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’

The host of The Phil Donahue Show passed away surrounded by relatives, including his actress wife, at his home – pictured 1996

‘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,’ Donahue’s second wife said.

‘Love, Marlo,’ she went on to sign, while sharing a vintage photo of the pair on a European holiday.

‘P.S. This is one of my favorite photos of Phil and me,’ she wrote. ‘[T]aken on vacation.’

The pair actually met on the set of his program back in 1977 – with Donahue the host and Thomas his guest. 

The two would go on to wed just three years later, following ‘instant chemistry’ felt by Thomas with the TV talker, she revealed in a 2015 post to Gacebook.

‘Phil and I met on his talk show, ‘Donahue,’ in 1977,’ Thomas, who continues to act and produce to this day, wrote at the time. 

‘He flirted, I giggled, and his TV audience watched us fall in love.’

The pair (seen here on the set of the Phil Donahue show) actually met on the program back in 1977 – with Donahue the host and Thomas his guest

The couple would then marry in 1980, having five children.

Meanwhile, the show went on, with Donahue hosting big names such as Bill Clinton, Muhammad Ali, Johnny Carson, Ayn Rand, and Nelson Mandela over the course of 16 more years on his seminal show.

He would also go on to win 20 Emmys – 10 for outstanding host, and 10 for the overall show.