Meredith Vieira's Husband Richard Cohen Passes Away at 76

Veteran journalist Richard Cohen, husband of Meredith Vieira, has died at 76 after battling multiple sclerosis for over 50 years. He passed away on Christmas Eve, overcoming two cancer diagnoses throughout his life. The couple shared three children together.

News of Cohen's death was shared on the Today show on January 7, announced by Hoda Kotb. She revealed he was "surrounded by his family and love" during his final moments, including Vieira and their children: Lily, 32, Gabriel, 34, and Benjamin, 36. Kotb noted the family had spent time together around Thanksgiving, worryingly preparing for an early goodbye, "Instead, they got a glorious month with their dad."

Savannah Guthrie described Vieira's spirits following Cohen's death. She shared, "She was such a beautiful and devoted wife to Richard, and he adored Meredith."

Cohen and Vieira had a 38-year marriage, having married in 1986. He received his MS diagnosis at 25 and revealed this life-altering truth to Vieira on their second date. Reflecting on that moment, he previously told Yahoo Life, "I learned the hard way to get it on the table," noting Vieira’s calm reaction.

Vieira said she was not deterred by the diagnosis. "I’ve always believed any of us could get hit by a bus tomorrow," she shared. "It certainly wasn’t enough to scare me off." Instead, she emerged as Cohen's strongest advocate.

Over nearly forty years, Vieira supported him as he transitioned from CBS News reporting to advocating for individuals with MS. Humor and radical honesty helped the couple navigate challenging times. Speaking to PEOPLE in 2018, Vieira remarked, "We definitely allow each other to vent. It’s part of the deal. Both of us have our challenges."

She articulated the dual realities of managing the illness. "You can think, ‘Why us?’ but then it’s like, ‘Why not us?’ It puts it into perspective," Vieira noted.

Multiple sclerosis affects the central nervous system, impacting the brain and spinal cord. It eventually prompted Vieira to alter her journalism career. She initially co-hosted The View and left in 2006 to co-anchor Today until 2011 to prioritize family life.

"Time is one of those weird things," Vieira said on air. "It just keeps ticking away, and I want to spend more mine with Richard and my kids."

In Cohen's memoir, Chasing Hope: A Patient’s Deep Dive into Stem Cells, Faith, and the Future, he discussed the influence of MS on families. He asserted, "Chronic illness is a family affair… spouses have the burden of tending to a loved one's needs, even when they would secretly rather push him out a window." He emphasized that loved ones should not be treated as spectators in this experience.

Earlier, SSP wrote that Justin Bieber shared exciting news about baby Jack.