Kathie Lee Gifford has revealed that Howard Stern called her to apologize for instigating their decades-old feud. The former Today host, 70, writes about the incident in her new book I Want to Matter: Your Life Is Too Short and Too Precious to Waste . Speaking to Fox News about the theme of forgiveness that runs through the book, Gifford said: “It was a surprise to get a voicemail from Howard Stern.
Once I listened to it, I said to my kids at the table, ‘Well, pigs have now officially flown...
’” The pair had been at odds since 1995, when Gifford sang the national anthem at that year’s Super Bowl while her husband, NFL star Frank Gifford, hosted the live telecast. While Gifford was performing “The Star-Spangled Banner” she heard booing, and later learned that Stern had asked his listeners to boo Gifford when she was introduced. Years later, when Stern was appearing on Today in 2012 to announce that he was joining the judging panel of America’s Got Talent , Gifford decided to react to his provocations with kindness.
“The Lord...
said, ‘Kathie, go down and say hello to him, and wish him well with the show,’” recalled Gifford. “And I said, ‘OK Lord.’ I got up out of my hair and makeup.
Those girls had been told, ‘Don’t let Kathie go anywhere near the studio.’ I couldn’t care less. I go downstairs.
They go, ‘Where are you going?’ I said, ‘I’m going to go say hello to Howard.’” Gifford recalled that she wished Stern well, then retur.
