Phil Donahue’s wife Marlo Thomas paid tribute to her “darling” on Instagram Monday, announcing a hiatus from the platform following his death.
“I’m sure by now you’ve heard the very sad news that I lost my darling last nightso i know you get it I will be leaving this site some time to take care of myself and the many people who cared for Phil and held him close to their hearts,” the actress wrote.
“But I didn’t want to leave without saying thank you for the beautiful messages of love and support that have come in throughout the day, and for the wonderful and generous way you have allowed Phil and I to share our life’s adventure with you over the years. As a man who spent his career loving his audience, Phil got a kick out of our cozy little community here, and I know he would be very touched by the heartwarming thoughts and memories you’ve shared.”
The pioneering talk show host died Sunday evening after a long illnesshis family told “Today,” noting that he was surrounded by loved ones and his beloved golden retriever, Charlie.
“Until I return, I wish you good health and happy days in the company of family and friends, and I hope you will continue to hold close those you cherish most, just as I was blessed to do with my beloved Phillip,” Thomas wrote .
In May, the couple celebrated 44 years of marriage which she said felt “more like 20 years,” calls their wedding “a happy day in May, and it is still happy! We are blessed and so grateful to have found each other.”
The couple met in 1977 when Donahue interviewed Thomas on “The Donahue Show” about her film “Thieves” — and there were “immediate sparks,” the actress has repeatedly said. They married three years later.
Thomas’ Instagram feed was sprinkled with tributes to the couple’s love and relationship longevity, including a Husband Appreciation Day, when she said: “I am quite thankful for my guy,” photos of them on vacation and their honeymoon, and a “throwback” New Year 2024 photo of them dance at their wedding. In January, she tipped him again for National Spouse Day, writing: “We’ve been married 43 years, and it’s so good to know that I chose the perfect husband for me.”
Thomas’ Monday message was also accompanied by a cherished photo of the couple on vacation on a motorcycle, “one of my favorite photos of Phil and me,” she wrote.