The "Profound" Moment Between Paul Newman and Kathie Lee That Changed Her Life
Ever since Kathie Lee Gifford announced that she's leaving the Today show, the co-host has been doing a lot of reflecting. While talking about what's she's learned with her fellow Today stars on Wednesday morning, KLG took a few moments to tell a special story about her and Paul Newman that forever changed her outlook on life.
While at a fundraiser in the early 2000s one night, Kathie Lee spotted Paul talking with a bunch of folks. Not wanting to bother him, she figured she'd try to say hello to him later. About 10 minutes later, Paul apparently tapped her on the back, got down on one knee, took both of her hands, and kissed them. Kathie Lee says she remembers thinking, "Okay, now I can die." While Paul struggled to get up (he was in his 80s at this time), Kathie Lee asked how he was doing. The Hollywood legend replied, "I have a pulse."
“They’ve [the audience] watched you through every stage of your life – your marriage, your children, losing Frank. Full circle life.” @hodakotb to @kathielgifford pic.twitter.com/s5d4QgNrKW
- TODAY (@TODAYshow) December 12, 2018
This moment moved Kathie Lee, who now believes firmly in the idea of "if you have a pulse, you have a purpose":
"I learned from him [Paul] and I learned from Audrey Hepburn the greatest examples of how a person can be blessed to have a career that the world notices and the world pays you to do and you love to do it, but at the same time, you understand it's not about you. It's for a purpose ... So, I just emulated people like that. I thought, 'That's the person I want to be.'"
Kathie Lee told this story to Playbill back in 2012 where she talked even more about just how much Paul's words meant to her. His response hit her on "a profound level."
"Paul Newman could've been anywhere and doing anything that night, but here he was at 80 years old trying to put something good into the universe," she explained then. "There's still good for me to do."
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