Marlo Thomas pays tribute to her ‘sweetheart’ husband and talk show legend Phil Donahue after his tragic death

Marlo Thomas has paid tribute to her late husband, talk show legend Phil Donahue.  

The host of The Phil Donahue Show passed away at the age of 88 on Sunday, while surrounded by relatives, including his actress wife, at his home. 

She wrote on Instagram, along with a sweet photo of the pair riding a motorbike together on vacation: ‘I’m sure by now you’ve heard the very sad news that I lost my sweetheart last night.

‘I know you understand that I’ll be stepping away from this page for a while to take care of myself and the many people who took care of Phil, and held him close to their hearts.

‘But I didn’t want to disappear without saying thank you for the beautiful messages of love and support that have been coming in all day, and for the wonderful and generous way that you’ve let Phil and me share our life adventure with you over the years. 

‘As a man who spent his career loving his audiences, Phil got such a kick out of our cozy little community here, and I know he would be very touched by the heartwarming thoughts and memories you’ve been sharing.

‘Until I return, I wish you good health and happy days in the company of family and friends, and I hope that you will continue to hold close those you cherish most, just as I was blessed to do with my beloved Phillip.

‘Love, Marlo. P.S. This is one of my favorite photos of Phil and me, taken on vacation.’

This is a breaking news story.