Clueless Kathie Lee Asks Martin Short How Dead Wife Is

Get ready to cringe at Gifford's awkward gaffe
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted May 31, 2012 9:55 AM CDT

Oof: Kathie Lee Gifford had quite the awkward moment yesterday on the Today show, when she asked Martin Short about his relationship with his wife—not realizing, or remembering, that his wife died in 2010. "And he and Nancy have one of the greatest marriages of anybody in show business. How many years now for you guys?" she started off. Short is being widely praised by bloggers for his classy handling of the line of questioning, as he responded, "Married 36 years."

Gifford went on: "But you're still, like, in love?" "Madly in love," Short replied, according to E!. Off camera, Short told Gifford his wife had died, and she apologized later on air, according to video obtained by Jezebel. Perez Hilton points out that Gifford had another "oops" when she tweeted a second apology—she directed it at a fake Martin Short Twitter account. "I send my sincerest apologies to @MartinShort and his family," she wrote. "He handled situation w/enormous grace and kindness and I'm so grateful." (More Kathie Lee Gifford stories.)

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