Kathie Lee & Kelly Ripa Honor Regis Philbin, Ciara Gives Birth and More!
July 28, 2020
July is ending. Does it feel like you’ve had a real summer at all? There’s no denying that 2020 has been a difficult and sometimes painful year, but if you’re reading this, it means that something is going right. It’s one of those years where you just have to be grateful for the small stuff, whether it’s waking up in the morning or reading about celebrity gossip. Speaking of which, let’s catch up on the latest!
Kathie Lee & Kelly Ripa Honor Regis Philbin
For 15 years, viewers were captivated by the on-screen chemistry on Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee. Of their immediate connection, Kathie Lee Gifford, 66, who co-hosted the show with Regis Philbin, says, “We just took off like a rocket.” Of course, the pair were also close friends in real life. In fact, Gifford visited with Philbin and his wife, Joy, just a few weeks ago.
Unfortunately, Gifford could immediately see that her friend’s condition had deteriorated significantly since last seeing him in January. “We sat right here on my screened porch and we laughed ourselves sick — we always just picked up right where we left off… We had the best time, and after they left, I just thought to myself, ‘Lord, is that the last time I’m going to see my friend?’ Because he was failing, I could tell.”
Joy Philbin later told Gifford, who penned an emotional tribute on Instagram, that the visit together had meant so much. “She said, ‘Kathie, he hadn’t laughed in a long, long time. I was so worried about him,’” Gifford recounted. “… And she said, ‘The day that we came to have lunch with you was the last time I heard him laugh.’ That will forever be a precious gift the Lord gave me, that I got to laugh with him — one of my best friends in all of my lifetime.”
When Gifford left the show in 2001, she was replaced by Kelly Ripa who co-hosted Live! With Regis and Kelly with Philbin until 2011. During their final episode together, she told him, “Your light is what shined around all of us and made us so bright for so long.” While they did not stay in touch after his retirement, Ripa has only had positive things to say about Philbin.
In the wake of his death, Ripa and new co-host, Ryan Seacrest, shared the following joint statement: “We are beyond saddened to learn about the loss of Regis Philbin. He was the ultimate class act, bringing his laughter and joy into our homes everyday on Live for more than 23 years. We were beyond lucky to have him as a mentor in our careers and aspire everyday to fill his shoes on the show. We send our deepest love and condolences to his family and hope they can find some comfort in knowing he left the world a better place.”
Regis Philbin is survived by Joy, his wife of 50 years, and their daughters, J.J. and Joanna, as well as Amy Philbin, his daughter from his first marriage. He also had a son, Daniel Philbin, who passed away in 2014.
Ciara & Russell Wilson Welcome Son
After opening up about the difficulty of being pregnant during a pandemic, Ciara and Russell Wilson have welcomed their baby boy. Sharing a video immediately after giving birth, the singer croons “Happy Birthday” (while wearing a mask!) to her newborn son. It’s incredibly sweet!
She also gave us the details on his birth with this caption: “Happy Birthday WIN!!! Mommy & Daddy Love You! Win Harrison Wilson 7.23.2020 8lbs 1 oz. ❤️ ??.” Little Win joins big sister, Sienna, 3, and big brother, Future Zahir, 5. Congratulations to the growing family!
In case you missed it… here are a few more noteworthy stories:
- Olivia de Havilland, ‘Gone With the Wind’ Star, Dead at 104
- Kelly Clarkson Says She Felt Like ‘Hope Is Lost‘ During ‘Challenging and Overwhelming’ Year
- Kanye West Apologizes to Kim Kardashian On Twitter: “Please Forgive Me”
- Pregnant Gigi Hadid Shows Off Newly Renovated New York City Apartment
- Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Officially Become Greek Citizens
- Melanie Griffith Shares Sweet Throwback Photos with Mom Tippi Hedren and Daughter Dakota Johnson
- Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey Jr. Reunite Virtually to Encourage Voter Registration
- Amanda Kloots and Nick Cordero’s Son Says His First Words: ‘He Still Knows Who His Dada Is’
- Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton Had ‘Awkward Moments‘ in Royal Relationship, New Book Claims
- Sandra Bullock Celebrates 56th Birthday with Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Paulson, and More
