Kathie Lee Gifford reveals debilitating pain drove three surgeries
Kathie Lee Gifford, 72, told People in an exclusive interview that debilitating chronic pain over the past year led to hip, arm and cataract surgeries—and moments when she said she wanted to die, though she stressed she was not suicidal. She credits surgery, physical therapy and stem cell treatment for her recovery.
Key Takeaways
- Gifford underwent a hip replacement, follow-up hip surgery, arm treatment and cataract surgery after a year of injuries and chronic pain.
- She told People the pain was so severe she prayed to go home to Jesus and wanted to die, but clarified she was not suicidal.
- After six-days-a-week physical therapy and stem cell therapy, she says she is running with her five grandchildren again.
- The former Today co-host compared her withdrawal from public life to her late husband Frank Gifford before his 2015 death.
Kathie Lee Gifford has opened up about one of the hardest stretches of her life. In a new exclusive interview with People, the 72-year-old television icon described how a cascade of injuries and surgeries left her in agony—and unable to be the grandmother she wanted to be.
What surgeries did Kathie Lee Gifford have?
Gifford told People she had a total hip replacement just over a year ago. She needed another hip surgery after she was too active playing with her grandchildren and fractured it again.
She also broke her arm when she rolled over on it wrong one night. A spill on uneven pavement led to another broken bone. When she noticed her depth perception was off, she underwent cataract surgery on her eyes.
"I feel like Mr. Potato Head! One thing falls off and then another," Gifford said in the PEOPLE cover story. "But you have to have a sense of humor about everything."
Why did Kathie Lee Gifford say she wanted to die?
The pain took a heavy mental toll. Gifford said she could not carry her grandchildren, love on them or run and play the way she wanted. All she could do was sit, sing and write silly songs with them.
She compared her retreat from public life to her late husband, NFL and broadcasting legend Frank Gifford, who died at age 84 in 2015. "I want to be Kathie Lee, the person they expect," she said. "But when you are in pain, it is so debilitating, and everything is a grimace."
Gifford told People she had never experienced chronic physical pain like this. "I wanted to die a few times," she said. "I was not going to hurt myself. I was not going to kill myself. I just did not want to be here—as blessed as I am." Entertainment Weekly, reporting on the same interview, noted she also prayed, "Lord, if this is all you have left for me, I want to go home."
How is Kathie Lee Gifford doing now?
On the mend, Gifford credits her surgeries plus six-days-a-week physical therapy and stem cell therapy. She told People she now runs "all over the place" with her five grandchildren—Frank, 4; Ford, 2; Faith, 10 months; Finn, 3; and Rosie, 13 months.
Yahoo Entertainment reported that the former Today host has shared a health update after several major surgeries in recent years. Gifford summed up her resilience in one line: "Thank God I have never lost that, even in my bleakest moments. I am a tough broad."
Advances in regenerative health and recovery tech continue to reshape how patients bounce back from major procedures—though Gifford's story is a reminder that healing is as much emotional as it is physical.