'I love you': Marlo Thomas shares nostalgic photo with husband Phil Donahue on his 87th birthday
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA: Even though Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue faced difficulties in their marriage, the couple stayed together and always came out stronger. As Donahue turned 87 on Thursday, December 22, his wife of 42 years took to social media to celebrate the special occasion. She shared a collage of two photos of the couple to celebrate his birthday.
The first black and white photo, shows the couple when they were younger and starting to date, while the other was taken more recently and shows the couple holding champagne glasses. In the post, Thomas called the former talk show host a "sweetheart" and confessed her love for him. "Today is Phils 87th birthday! Happy day my sweetheart! Just as adorable as our first date and always a reason to celebrate! I love you, Margaretta," she captioned the nostalgic photo of the two.
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Thomas and Donahue met when the ‘That Girl’ actress was already in her late 30s. Thomas was not married at that time as she had not considered marriage to be an option for herself. Therefore, she was not looking for a spouse when the pair crossed paths. In 1977, Donahue invited Thomas as a guest on his talk show ‘The Phil Donahue Show’. During the filming, Thomas was charmed by Donahue and said it was love at first sight. They went out later that night.
According to AmoMama, Thomas said that the pair have been inseparable and happily in love since that night after the shoot for the talk show all those years ago. Love was in the air for both of them, however, agreeing to marriage was a tough decision for Thomas. The actress who played Jennifer Aniston’s mom in ‘Friends’ admitted that she found it difficult to believe that there was room enough for two peoples' dreams in one relationship. Although, she was willing to know if she could pursue her passions while Donahue followed his.
Another significant issue was Donahue having five children with ex-wife Marge Cooney, four of whom he had sole custody of. Thomas was hesitant of going from a single woman living alone to a married stepmother living with four teenage boys. Fortunately, with Donahue’s constant reassurance, the couple married in 1980. At 40, Thomas became a stepmother to her husband's children.
Thomas opened up about her relationship and revealed the reason why she married Donahue. "And in a marriage, you gotta know that person has your back. This is the safest place I can be; he is going to be my everything — my cushion of life," she said, as per ABC. Donahue and Thomas have now spent four decades happily together.