The Longest Shortest Time
EPISODE #89: When Katie Couric Became a Single Mom
Katie Couric was hosting the Today show. She was married to a lawyer named Jay Monahan. They had two daughters together. In 1998, Jay died of colon cancer, and Katie suddenly became a single parent.
Katie and Jay with their daughters Ellie + Carrie
Katie with her daughters in 2015
Katie helped her kids through the grieving process. And, to distract herself, she threw herself into her work, interviewing some of the most famous—and infamous—people of our time. In the year 2000, Katie did a remarkable thing: she put her colon on TV.
By televising her own colonoscopy, Katie hoped to raise awareness about colon cancer—and perhaps save other families from losing loved ones. And it worked. The rate of people getting the procedure went up 20% in this country. People called it The Couric Effect.
Katie’s kids are grown now, and out of the house. Two years ago, she got remarried to a guy named John Molner. John’s got two grown kids of his own. Katie likes to say their families had kind of a delayed Brady Bunch situation.
Katie Couric and John Molner on their wedding day in 2014.
John Molner with his daughter, Allie (in the Northwestern sweatshirt), and step-daughters Ellie and Carrie. John has a son, too, named Henry.
Tune in to hear more about Katie’s family life—including her own teenage years (what her mom did when she caught Katie “necking”)—and how Katie used puppies as a bargaining tool. (This is one of our favorite Weird Parenting Wins—or fails, depending on how you look at it. Leave YOUR Weird Parenting Wins … and Fails … in the comments!)
Katie Couric as a kid. We recognize that smile!
Katie with her two dogs, Maisy and Cooper, in 2016.
More Katie Couric
You can catch Katie Couric on Yahoo! News. And don’t miss her new podcast called, you guessed it, Katie Couric.
What unexpected circumstances have forced YOU to revise the way you raise your family?
Or maybe you noticed your own parents going through a big change? Tell us below!
Top photo: Josh Cohen; wedding photo: Brian Dorsey Studios
Our sponsors for this episode are Havenly (code: LONGSHORT), Hooked on Phonics, Icon Undies (code: LONGSHORT), Zappos (Call & mention VIP for lifetime next day free shipping), Bumby Box (code: LONGEST) and Horizon Organics. Use the promo codes at checkout for a special discount.
As an Amazon Associate, The Longest Shortest Time earns a small commission from qualifying purchases.