Kathie Lee Gifford is a devoted parent and grandparent, yet she knows when to step back and let her children navigate their own lives.
“I am the kind of parent that the minute my kids were adults, I stopped giving them advice,” Gifford shared in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. “I raised them to know right from wrong. I raised them to know that God is their best friend. I raised them to trust the Lord in all things.” Gifford has made it clear that she only offers advice when her children request it, a promise she’s held firm to.
Gifford, alongside her late husband Frank Gifford, is the mother of two—Cody and Cassidy. In recent years, both of her children have started their own families. Cody married Erika Brown in 2020, and the couple has two sons, Frank and Ford. Cassidy married Ben Wierda and welcomed a son, Finn, in 2023.
Last year, Gifford and Cassidy collaborated on the Amazon Prime series “The Baxters.” Cassidy shared some of the professional advice her mother gave her, including the importance of kindness, hard work, and respecting others’ time. “If you’re five minutes early, you’re 15 minutes late,” Cassidy recalled her parents saying. Gifford added her own perspective, emphasizing the significance of authenticity and integrity in show business. “It’s not worth having if you got to do it that way,” she said.
Gifford finds immense joy in her role as a grandmother, though she refrains from giving parenting advice unless asked. “They don’t need me anymore the same way,” she remarked, focusing instead on the joy she shares with her grandchildren. “It’s not rewarding, it’s joyful,” she joked.
The former “Today” host has faced her own challenges, undergoing a hip replacement and breaking her pelvis earlier this year. Reflecting on the incident, Gifford admitted, “I thought I was stronger than I was,” as she recalled moving books for a signing event. Despite these setbacks, she quickly recovered, thanks to physical therapy.
As a grandmother, Gifford prefers the title Bubbie, a Yiddish term for grandmother, humorously rejecting traditional labels. “I’m not a grandmother. I don’t want to be called that. And ‘granny,’ I will shoot you,” she joked.
Living near Franklin, Tennessee, Gifford treasures her time with her family. Modern technology, like FaceTime, helps her stay connected, making each visit with her grandchildren even more special. Gifford said she regularly calls her grandkids, lately Cassidy’s son, Finn, which made all the difference when he recently visited her home. “He came over and just started kissing me, kissing me, kissing me,” she gushed.
As a grandmother, Gifford prefers the title Bubbie, a Yiddish term for grandmother, humorously rejecting traditional labels. “I’m not a grandmother. I don’t want to be called that. And ‘granny,’ I will shoot you,” she joked.