Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue were married for 44 years, but they are no longer both here to talk about their life together: Donahue died on August 18, 2024. Their marriage book, What Makes a Marriage Last, grew out of nine months of travel and conversations with dozens of long-married couples. Thomas, meanwhile, remains active in television; a June 15, 2026, Television Academy interview said she was collaborating on a new sitcom.
Are Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue still married?
They were married from 1980 until Donahue’s death in 2024, a 44-year marriage. The couple’s shared story is now necessarily retrospective: an exclusive published May 3, 2024, described them as a married couple, before Donahue died on August 18 of that year. AARP’s updated archive coverage reports his death.
What did they say about their marriage?
Thomas recalled her certainty early in their relationship in a Television Academy interview: “I was sure within 10 minutes of the interview that this was the guy.” She also described Donahue’s rapport with his audience: “He didn’t speak down to them.” Those remarks offer a glimpse of their connection and his public manner, not a single guaranteed recipe for a lasting marriage.
Their joint project approached the subject through other couples’ experiences. In a Bravo after-show description, they discussed what had worked in their own marriage and what they learned while writing their book. The project gathered lessons and practices from long relationships rather than presenting one formula as the secret.
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What book did Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue write?
What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life is their book about enduring relationships. AARP reported in 2020 that Thomas and Donahue spent nine months traveling and interviewed dozens of couples who had been married for at least 15 years. The conversations supplied a range of perspectives; the project was not a numerical study proving that any one habit ensures success. CBS’s interview says the book was available in hardcover, eBook, and audio formats through Amazon.
What happened to Phil Donahue?
Donahue died on August 18, 2024, according to AARP’s updated archive coverage. He was a television talk-show pioneer, known for connecting with audiences without speaking down to them, as Thomas put it in her Television Academy interview. His death changed the context of the couple’s 2024 conversation: what had been presented then as a current portrait of their shared life is now part of their history.
What is Marlo Thomas doing now?
Thomas’s career spans acting and children’s media as well as her work with Donahue. Her best-known work includes the sitcom That Girl and the children’s project Free to Be … You and Me. In an interview published June 15, 2026, the Television Academy reported that she remained active and was collaborating on a new sitcom. That update speaks to her continuing work, distinct from the couple’s shared marriage project.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where can I watch That Girl?
The available information here does not establish which streaming service or digital retailer currently carries That Girl. Catalogs change by date and region, so check the services available where you live for its current availability.
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