Kathie Lee Gifford recently opened up about returning to the dating scene after kicking a mysterious suitor to the curb last year.
Videos by Suggest
At the QVC Celebrates Launch Of Q50 Age Of Possibility Platform event in Santa Monica, California, this past May, the 71-year-old television personality opened up about her love life.
“No, I’m not [interested in dating]. I had an unbelievable marriage and was in a relationship that I thought would be the last one of my life, the love of the rest of your life, and that didn’t work out,” she told PEOPLE.
She also revealed that this unnamed ex-boyfriend has been officially friend-zoned.
“I was with him all day yesterday, we’re still great friends,” she told the outlet.
“We were together almost three years, and it just wasn’t meant to be forever,” Gifford added. “But we love each other, so you just take a day at a time.”
Kathie Lee Gifford Candidly Reveals Her Future Lovelife Plans
“I’ve only been in love three times in my life, and the first two are dead,” the former Live with Regis and Kathie Lee reasoned. “So, he’s basically all I’ve got. We’re back to being great friends, and it’s perfect.”
Gifford was married to composer Paul Johnson from 1976 to 1983 and to Frank Gifford from 1986 until his death in 2015. She has two children with Frank Gifford: son Cody, 35, and daughter Cassidy, 31.
The former Today host added that her latest ex is “back to where we started, which is fine. He’s a doll. And if the Lord brings me somebody else, that’s fine too. I’m not a desperate woman.”
“My husband’s been gone now for 10 years, and widowhood is not something I recommend unless you hate your husband,” she joked. “It’s not a club anybody wants to join if they love their husband. But if you hate his guts, you’re relieved.”
Time Hasn’t Healed Gifford’s Grief Over Her Late Husband
Kathie Lee Gifford revealed that, even after a decade, time has not eased the pain of losing her second husband. When asked if time had made coping any easier, she admitted that her grief remains unchanged.
“No, it’s been 10 years, and my husband was dying for 10 years before he died. It was a relief when the Lord took him home. He had CTE from football damage and stuff,’ she admitted to PEOPLE.
She also shared her intention to embrace a new perspective on love as she moves forward.
“You aren’t supposed to marry everyone you fall in love with. And I don’t want to love easily,” she explained. “I’ve been loved three times in my entire life. It’s the people who have meant something deep and powerful in your life that are the hardest things to get over.”