It’s seemingly become a trend in recent years for celebs to use their public platforms to project their faith and values. But Kathie Lee Gifford was doing it LONG before it was popular.
The TODAY show host isn’t the type to merely pop off a Bible verse on air or post an Instagram video of her worshiping — no, this woman lives the Christian life daily in all the most exemplary ways.
And forgiveness under the most difficult of circumstances appears to be her forte.
From her late husband’s infidelity to Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault scandals, this unwavering woman of faith has continued to take a posture of mercy and grace that is rarely seen.
“I just want people to know I don’t judge them,” said Gifford of Weinstein and Cosby. “I don’t like what they do, but God knows their hearts and there’s hope for them. And you can’t call yourself a friend when, the first minute where there’s trouble, you run. That’s called a fair-weather friend … and that’s not a friend at all.”
“What we need now is forgiveness, and we need mercy for one another,” she added after the Matt Lauer scandal broke. “We don’t need taunts and we don’t need ugliness. We have enough of that in the world.”
But even more impressive is that Kathie Lee’s forgiveness extends beyond those that she may call a lover, friend, or colleague. The TV hostess showers her enemies in the same kind of grace. In fact, on the TODAY Show this week, she shared that Howard Stern had been a long-standing enemy who hated her for decades.
“Howard Stern had a feud with me going on 30 years,” said Gifford. “I never met him. I never listened to his show. He hated my guts for 30 years… Hated my husband, hated my children. Hated everything I stood for.”
Three decades is a pretty darn long time for someone to hold a one-sided grudge, but it wasn’t enough to make Kathie Lee bitter or resentful. And after three decades, it was once again her posture of love and kindness that shattered Stern’s heart of stone.
“One day, right here, I was up in the makeup room, and all of a sudden he’s here to announce ‘America’s Got Talent,’” recalled Gifford. “I just feel the Lord saying very clearly to me, ‘Go down and say hello to Howard.’ I’m standing right here … and I go, ‘Howard, Howard, I’m Kathie Lee. I thought it was time I say hello. I want to wish you the very best with your show.’ And I left.”
“He was really flabbergasted,” she explained.