Kathie Lee Gifford shared how her faith led her to call a truce with Howard Stern after a 16-year feud, and that the former America’s Got Talent judge ended up calling and asking her for forgiveness. Fans want to know how the pair’s beef began and how they made peace.
How Did Kathie Lee Gifford and Howard Stern’s Feud Begin?
In her April 2024 memoir, I Want to Matter: Your Life Is Too Short and Too Precious to Waste, the former Today show host shared how she got booed while singing at the Super Bowl in 1995 and went on to discover Howard was behind it.
Kathie Lee was chosen to sing the National Anthem, while her former NFL star husband, Frank Gifford, was hosting the live telecast. She recalled hearing members of the audience booing her and later learned that the shock jock asked his listeners to taunt her, according to an except obtained by Fox News.
“The God Who Sees” singer called it “completely surreal,” and noted she had never met Howard, nor listened to his radio show.
How Did Kathie Lee Gifford End Her 16-Year Feud With Howard Stern?
In 2011, Howard appeared on Today to announce that he would be joining AGT. Kathie Lee was hosting the show’s fourth hour with Hoda Kotb, and said a higher power instructed her to make peace.
“The Lord… said, ‘Kathie, go down and say hello to him, and wish him well with the show,’” Kathie Lee told Fox News on May 28, 2024. “And I said, ‘OK Lord.’ I got up out of my hair and makeup [room]. 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.’”
She continued, “I said, ‘Hey, it’s Kathie Lee.’ I thought it was about time. I said, ‘I want to wish you all the best with the new show.’ I got up, went back, sat down in the makeup room. They’d said, ‘Why’d you do that?’ I said, ‘God told me to.’”
How Did Howard Stern Apologize to Kathie Lee Gifford?
The NBC personality got a call later in the day after talking to Howard.
“We’re having dinner, and I see the no-caller ID. I said, ‘That’s him.’ My husband and son did not want me to take that call. He was horrible to me and horrendous to my entire family … I’d never met the man, never until that day, never listened to his show or anything like that. I [heard] he said certain things about me. I’d go, ‘Why? I don’t even know the man,” the Nashville resident told the outlet.
It turned out to be Howard. “He left a voicemail, and he says – I can’t even use the language that he used,” she explained. “It was a lot of F-words, but he was saying, ‘I can’t believe how nice you were to me. I’ve been so rude to you, and you were so nice. I just need to apologize to you. Please call me.’”
Kathie Lee didn’t return his call but instead had a private conversation with Howard at a later date where he asked for her forgiveness. “I said, ‘I’m really happy for you that you’re asking for forgiveness, because anytime we hurt somebody in life, it’s important to ask for forgiveness,’” she said.
Where Do Kathie Lee Gifford and Howard Stern Stand Today?
“He’s a very odd duck. But then I saw him a couple of times over at Sirius, and we were fine. I can get along with a rock,” The Baxters star joked.
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