FOLLOWING the death of her second husband Frank, Kathie Lee Gifford found love again.
For almost two years, the former Today Show anchor dated businessman Richard Spitz.
Who is Kathie Lee Gifford's ex-boyfriend, Richard Spitz?
On February 21, 2023, The U.S. Sun revealed Kathie Lee Gifford had been dating Richard Spitz for several months.
An insider shared: "Kathie Lee and Richard have been enjoying each other's company for some time."
"They're often spotted out and about in the Nashville area. She seems smitten and takes him everywhere."
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"It's surprising she's kept the relationship under wraps for this long."
Based in Nashville, Tennesee, Richard Spitz is a businessman who oversees Strong Force Innovation Portfolios.
He obtained his Master's degree from NYU School of Law and is a California State University, Northridge graduate.
A year after their relationship was revealed, rumors about their split circulated in February 2024.
A source told The U.S. Sun that Kathie was upset with Today host Hoda Kotb after she disclosed a potential breakup between her and Richard during a live TV segment with Jenna Bush Hager.
During the segment on February 12, 2024, Hoda said that Kathie Lee "would be perfect" on ABC's The Golden Bachelorette, which will feature contestants ages 60 and up and is set to air in the fall.
The source said: "Kathie Lee was hurt after Hoda and Jenna did a segment on the Golden Bachelorette, and Hoda suggested her old friend Kathie as a candidate for the show.
"Some would have been thrilled that Hoda held them up for production on her massive Today Show platform, but not Kathie Lee.
"Kathie Lee was crushed that her friend outed her relationship status after she had done her best to keep everything with Richard under wraps."
When did Kathie Lee and Richard break up?
On April 24, 2024, Kathie Lee confirmed the rumors and announced she and Richard had called it quits.
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The broadcaster explained to People: "I was in a relationship for several years that just ended recently.
"And you know, it's always hard because when you love someone, you love someone deeply.
"It’s something you miss when it doesn't last. You aren’t supposed to marry everyone you fall in love with and I don't want to love easily.
"My new mantra was going to be my joy is non-negotiable.
"I'll negotiate time. I'll negotiate money with you. But my joy, I can't."
What happened to Kathie Lee Gifford's late husband, Frank?
On August 9, 2015, Kathie Lee's second husband, Frank Gifford, died from natural causes at the age of 84.
Frank was an NFL Hall of Famer and had suffered from symptoms associated with Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
It is a degenerative disease in the brain, likely caused by repetitive head injuries.
The Today Show alum's family initially said Frank died solely of natural causes, but later tests revealed that CTE may have been a contributing factor.
His family donated his brain to science in the hopes that they would be able to help others suffering from the disease.
Frank Gifford is survived by Kathie Lee, their two children, and his three older children from his marriage to Maxine Avis Ewart.
The Emmy Award-winning host met Frank on the set of a morning news show, and Gifford admitted that she was smitten at first sight.
"I met Frank Gifford because it was 4 o'clock in the morning at Good Morning America, walking down one of the hallways and I looked over at somebody in the dressing room — the best set of buns I've ever seen in my life — just leaned over a sink putting in contact lenses," she recalled to the abovementioned outlet.
