Kathie Lee Gifford admits she 'wanted to die' amid 'debilitating' pain and surgery: 'Didn't want to be here'

Joey NolfiTue, June 30, 2026 at 2:05 PM UTC

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Kathie Lee Gifford visits 'Fox & Friends' in 2022Credit: Slaven Vlasic/GettyKey Points -

Kathie Lee Gifford opened up about chronic pain that led to surgery.

The star got a hip replacement and cataract surgery amid what she said was debilitating pain.

Gifford said that "even in my bleakest moments" she's "a tough broad.”

Kathie Lee Gifford has opened up about pain that was so bad she wanted to die.

The 72-year-old daytime TV icon, singer, and actress revealed to Entertainment Weekly's sister publication, PEOPLE, that she's grappled with severe pain, broken bones, and surgery over the last year — including a total hip replacement and a cataract procedure.

The pain, Gifford said, led to her retreating from public affairs throughout the year, which she said recalled her late husband, Frank Gifford, and his final stages of life before his death at 84 in 2015.

Kathie Lee Gifford attends the 'Reagan' Nashville premiere in August 2024Credit: Danielle Del Valle/Getty

"Frank said to me before he passed, 'When I go somewhere, I know what people are expecting from me. I want to be Frank Gifford when I go out,'" she told the outlet. "I want to be Kathie Lee, the person they expect. I don't want to disappoint people. But when you're in pain, it's so debilitating, and everything's a grimace. I've had emotional pain many times in my life, but never this chronic physical pain where you literally want to go home to Jesus."

She revealed that she uttered the prayer, "Lord, if this is all you have left for me, I want to go home," and that she "wanted to die a few times" as a result of the excruciating pain.

"I wasn't going to hurt myself. I wasn't going to kill myself. I just didn't want to be here — as blessed as I am," she admitted.

In addition to her hip surgery and cataract procedure, Gifford's broken bones led to further complications and physical limitations, including an impact on her ability to play with her five grandchildren.

"I couldn't carry them, I couldn't love on them, I couldn't run and play with them," Gifford said. "All I could do was sit there and sing and write silly songs with them."

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Looking back on what might've led to such bodily complications, Gifford cited exerting herself on stage while performing as Miss Hannigan in a 2006 production of Annie at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Kathie Lee Gifford at AOL Studios in New York City in 2016Credit: Mike Pont/WireImage

"I wanted to make it big so that the little kids sitting could see it," she recalled. "I did pratfalls."

Still, "When I look back on all of these years in this industry, I go, 'I can't believe I didn't fall apart years ago,'" she added. "I've never abused [my body], I just used it."

Outside of her medical issues, Gifford, a vocal Christian, made headlines recently for speaking out on a pair of surprising topics — including shading the current cohosts of The View and the LGBTQ community's use of identifying letters during an interview with conservative personality Tomi Lahren.

Kathie Lee Gifford performs in Tennessee in 2025Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty

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"The scriptures do have something to say about it, you can look that up, too," Gifford replied when asked about the LGBTQ community, with Lahren asking how someone could "reconcile" living as a Christian but also remain "big into LGBTQ" equality.

Gifford replied, "That one is a four-letter word, and it's called L-O-V-E, love," before pointing out that she's had gay friends throughout her life, though she then shaded the LGBTQ community's identifying letters in its title.

"I don't even know how many letters there are now. They've really got to stop with that. We know what you mean, you know?" Gifford said. "I'm not telling anybody how to live their life. I never have. I just know what Jesus said: Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Love God first."

on Entertainment Weekly

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”