Kathie Lee Gifford says she has forgiven Howard Stern after she received phone calls from the radio show apologizing profusely.
“It was a surprise to get a voicemail from Howard Stern,” the 70-year-old recalled to Fox News Digital. “Once I listened to it, I said to my kids at the table, ‘Well, pigs have now officially flown.’”
Stern and Gifford’s feuding first began in 1995 after Gifford was booed during her performance of the national anthem at Super Bowl XXIX. Her husband, NFL legend Frank Gifford, was hosting the live event.
She later learned that Stern had told his fans to boo Gifford when she was introduced on stage, despite the two having never met in person. Years later, their paths crossed as Stern was a guest on Today to announce he was joining the panel of judges on America’s Got Talent in 2012.
In her new book “I Want to Matter: Your Life Is Too Short and Precious to Waste,” the former Today co-anchor explores the power of self-love and the power of forgiveness.
Gifford told the digital outlet that the Lord told her to “go down and say hello to him” and to “wish him well with the show.” Even her hair and makeup artists were told to keep her away from his studio, but the former co-anchor “couldn’t care less.”
“I thought it was about time. I said, ‘I want to wish you all the best with the new show,’” she recalled.
That same day, as she hopped on a plane to go attend her son’s graduation at USC, she received a phone call with no caller ID. The caller left a voicemail. It was Stern.
“I can’t even use the language that he used,” said Gifford. “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.’”
Unable to call him back, Gifford received another call from Stern while she was having dinner with her family.
“My husband and son did not want me to take that call,” said Gifford. “He was horrible to me and horrendous to my entire family.”
However, her private conversation with Stern took a turn for the better, as he asked Gifford for her forgiveness. As much as she appreciated the gesture, Gifford made it clear that she forgave him “30 years ago.” She even invited him over for dinner.
“He’s a very odd duck,” said Gifford. “But then I saw him a couple of times over at Sirius, and we were fine. I can get along with a rock.”
