Meredith Vieira's Husband Richard Cohen Dies After Surviving Two Cancer Diagnoses

Richard Cohen, a celebrated journalist, author, and the beloved husband of veteran broadcaster Meredith Vieira, passed away on Christmas Eve at the age of 76.

His death came after a courageous five-decade battle with multiple sclerosis (MS) and two separate cancer diagnoses.

Richard Cohen spent his final moments surrounded by family, love, and warmth.

The news of Cohen's passing was shared on the "Today" show on January 7, where host Hoda Kotb revealed that Cohen had been with his family, including Vieira and their three children: Lily, 32, Gabriel, 34, and Benjamin, 36. Kotb reflected on the family's final month together, noting their gratitude for the extra time they shared after fears of losing him earlier.

Savannah Guthrie also paid tribute, describing Vieira as a "beautiful and devoted wife" and Cohen as an adoring husband. "They were the most fun, irreverent, and cool couple you could ever hang out with," she said.

Meredith Vieira, known for her roles on "The View," "Today," and "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,"  shares a remarkable love story with her husband, journalist and author Richard M. Cohen. Their marriage, spanning nearly four decades, is a testament to enduring love, resilience, and partnership through life’s greatest challenges.

Vieira and Cohen first crossed paths in the early 1980s, both already making waves in their respective careers. Vieira, known for her sharp wit and warm on-screen presence, and Cohen, an accomplished journalist and former senior producer for CBS News and CNN, quickly formed a deep connection.

Diagnosed with MS at just 25, Cohen bravely shared his condition with Vieira on their second date. "I told her about the illness, because I sort of learned the hard way to get it on the table," he recalled in a 2019 interview with Yahoo Life. "And she really didn’t blink."

They went on to tie the knot on June 14, 1986. The couple shares three children: Ben, Gabriel, and Lily. Despite their demanding professional lives, Vieira and Cohen have always prioritized family, with Vieira often crediting Cohen as her steadfast partner in balancing work and home life.

Cohen chronicled his journey with illness in his 2018 memoir, "Chasing Hope: A Patient’s Deep Dive into Stem Cells, Faith, and the Future." In it, he candidly wrote about the toll chronic illness takes on families. “Chronic illness is a family affair. Spouses have the burden of tending to the needs of a loved one, even when they would secretly rather push him out a window,” he wrote. “I knew they should not be treated as spectators when they are in the ring with us.”

MS, a chronic disease affecting the central nervous system, gradually impacted Cohen's mobility and left him legally blind in his later years. Despite these challenges, Cohen remained an unwavering optimist. “I want to have a long-term relationship with hope,” he wrote in his memoir. “Perhaps I need a lot of it.”

In addition to MS, Cohen has endured two battles with colon cancer,

In 2011, Meredith Vieira made the heartfelt decision to step away from her role on "Today" to spend more time with Richard and their children. Despite the professional sacrifices, Vieira has expressed no regrets, emphasizing that family will always remain her top priority.

“Time is one of those weird things,” she said during her farewell on "Today." “You can never get enough of it, and it just keeps ticking away. I want to spend more of mine with my husband and my kids.”

Meanwhile, Richard Cohen has chronicled his health struggles and their impact on his life and marriage in several books, including "Blindsided: Lifting a Life Above Illness and Strong at the Broken Places." His candid reflections offer readers insight into the realities of living with chronic illness and the strength required to persevere.

Throughout their nearly 40-year marriage, Cohen and Vieira navigated the highs and lows of chronic illness with humor and radical honesty. In a 2018 interview with People Magazine, Vieira acknowledged the challenges they faced as a family. “Certainly he’s allowed to vent, because he’s got chronic illness. But I am too. Because there are days I can’t stand it and the limitations it puts on the entire family.”

But Vieira maintained a balanced perspective, adding, “You can think, ‘Why us?’ but then it’s like, ‘Why not us?’ So many people are dealing with stuff, and it puts it into perspective.”