Marlo Thomas Makes First TV Appearance Since Death of Husband Phil Donahue

marlo thomas was back Today The show will kick off the NBC morning show’s annual Thanks & Giving series on Monday, November 24, which highlights the remarkable work at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the facility founded by his father, Danny Thomas, in 1962.

Emmy winner and outreach director at St. Jude, 88, has been a mainstay TodayShe continues to appear on programs to promote the campaign she started with her siblings 22 years ago. The only time she missed seeing it was in 2024, when she was not there to mourn the passing of her beloved husband, Phil Donahue.

As fans know, Marlowe was married to Donahue for 44 years, after they met and the pair tied the knot in 1980. phil donahue show In 1977. Sparks flew immediately, and led to a decades-long partnership that is remembered as one of Hollywood’s great love stories.

“She loved her boy,” said Marlowe’s brother, Tony Thomas. Today Last year. “It was a true love relationship…they were very, very close and I believe it will take some time for her to process that.”

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During Monday’s segment, Marlowe did not mention Donahue, who died in August 2024 at the age of 88 after a long illness. Appearing via satellite from Memphis, Tennessee, he instead focused on St. Jude and a new Family Commons space that has been introduced at the location.

“It was really thought about by parents and kids,” he said of the new 45,000-square-foot center. “What are they missing? A place to play, a place to do art, a place to play music. And we even have a beauty salon, because hair is so important to kids.”

While touring the space with NBC’s Morgan Redford, Marlow interacted with the children, some of whom even got their nails done by a professional manicurist working at the facility. He also showed Radford the music room, recording studio, a producer’s room and maker space (with a 3-D printer), and, of course, the art studio.

“Children are so determined to do what the art does in terms of therapy, it gives them back control,” Marlow said. “They can even paint on the walls whatever they want.”

One thing kids won’t see in Family Commons? Any medical professional. “There are no doctors, no nurses, no medicine,” said Marlow of the non-clinical services sector. “It’s game time.”

As a patient named Theo tells Radford, it’s the only place where he forgets he’s actually in a hospital.

“Our main goal is to save a child’s life and then give them back a quality life,” he shared. “We’re trying to give them their childhood back.”

The design ideas for Family Commons came from the children of St. Jude themselves. talking to marlo TodayThey said they were scared when they first came to the hospital, but those fears subsided thanks to the bonds they formed with each other.

The Family Commons features study rooms, classrooms, a café and outdoor play area, as well as private rooms where families can relax between hospital appointments and a stained-glass sanctuary that offers a quiet space for reflection, prayer and meditation.

The creative design of Family Commons reflects the holistic care provided by St. Jude, putting both physical and emotional patient comfort first.

Famously the families never receive a bill from St. Jude – not for treatment, room and board, or transportation. The research hospital is funded by donations from the public as well as revenue sources such as research grants and investment returns.

Money for Family Commons came through AbbVie’s generous $50 million donation. Marlow thanked research-based global biopharmaceutical company AbbVie, saying, “Our amazing donors didn’t pay a cent for this.”

“It’s great because these kids, all day, every day, follow all these schedules of doctors’ appointments, treatments, radiation. It’s a place where they bring their childhood back; to play with other kids from around the world and across this country, too,” Marlow said. “It’s very important. It’s part of the treatment.”

This is only Marlowe’s second public appearance since Donahue’s death. They first met in May, when she stepped out in New York City for Family Equality’s signature fundraising gala, Night at the Pier.

Today Airs weekdays on NBC (starting at 7 a.m. ET). The event’s annual Spotlight series sharing the stories of St. Jude patients and families who have benefited from its services will continue throughout the week.