Meredith Vieira and her family are mourning the loss of their patriarch.
Richard Cohen, the veteran CBS News journalist and husband of Vieira, died on Christmas Eve after a 50-year battle with multiple sclerosis, according to a Today article published Jan. 7. He was 76.
Today host Hoda Kotb announced Cohen’s death during a Jan. 7 segment and noted that at the time of his passing, he was “surrounded by his family and love.” Cohost Savannah Guthrie also shared an update on Vieira—who anchored Today until 2011.
“She’s in really good spirits,” she said of the journalist. “She was such a beautiful and devoted wife to Richard, and he adored Meredith. And hanging out with them, they were like the most fun and entertaining, irreverent, cool couple you could hang out with.”
E! News has reached out to Vieira’s reps for additional comment.
Cohen was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 25. According to the Mayo Clinic, MS is “a disease that causes breakdown of the protective covering of nerves,” and “can cause numbness, weakness, trouble walking, vision changes and other symptoms.”
