Kathie Lee Gifford Moments That Contributed To Her Chaotic Reputation

A morning TV staple for over 30 years, Kathie Lee Gifford has suffered her share of tragedy. But the star of "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee" and "Today with Kathie Lee and Hoda" has often found herself in the middle of controversial moments of her own creation as well. The talk show host has never been one to shy away from saying what she felt, and that has, at times, made people believe that Gifford can be a chaotic figure.

A beloved figure to many stay-at-home moms and dads, as well as kids stuck at home during the summer, Gifford's life was constantly under a microscope ever since she first partnered up with Regis Philbin in 1985 on "The Morning Show." She became a popular figure who was both loved by her fans and the target for ridicule by others. All the while, she spent endless hours on TV, talking off the cuff, which sometimes led to hasty statements that created a few controversial headlines. Now, even without a show of her own, Gifford continues to make her feelings known to the public, even when those feelings can paint her in a less-than-favorable light. 

Kathie Lee Gifford's most impactful moment may not be one she wants to be remembered for. In 1995, the talk show host launched her own clothing line at Walmart. The line was an instant hit, making Gifford $5 million in the first year, though she was quick to point out that the money wasn't as much as it seemed, saying, per the Los Angeles Times, that half went to taxes, and $1 million went to charity, so it was "hardly money-grubbing greed."

But a year later, Gifford became the face of a sweatshop scandal as Charles Kernaghan, the executive director of the National Labor Committee Education Fund at the time, revealed evidence showing Gifford's clothes were made by 13 and and 14-year-olds working 20-hour days in Honduras. Gifford herself had no part in choosing where the clothes were made, and even had it written in her deal that Walmart had to specify which companies made the clothes. What she was unaware of was that the New York company contracted to make the clothes subcontracted it to another company in Alabama, which then subcontracted it to yet another company in New Jersey, which, finally, subcontracted it to a company in Honduras.

Gifford wasn't the only celebrity caught up in the scandal. Kernaghan found that Michael Jordan and Jaclyn Smith also had products being made in sweatshops, but it was Gifford that the press and the public centered on. In 1999, three years after Gifford pledged to make sure her line was not made in sweatshops, it was revealed that production had moved to El Salvador, where the conditions were no better. Gifford defended herself on TV, saying she was the victim of "vicious personal attacks" (via CBS News).

Kathie Lee Gifford announced she was leaving "Live With Regis and Kathie Lee" at the end of July 2000, and Walmart ended her clothing line in 2003. Aside from a few guest spots on other shows, like Hollywood Squares and Star Search, Gifford stayed out of the public eye for most of the decade. But in 2008, Gifford made her return to regular TV, taking over the fourth hour of NBC's "Today" show alongside Hoda Kotb. The two quickly hit it off, and their friendly back-and-forth brought in more viewers. One aspect that caught on was Gifford and Kotb's drinking wine during the show. 

The tradition started when Chelsea Handler appeared on the show, and grew from there. Over 11 years and more than 1000 episodes, Gifford and Kotb would drink 5,300 glasses of wine on air. And while the two hosts rarely drank more than a glass an episode, their loose style led to people believing they were often drunk on live TV. The on-air activity made Kathie Lee and Hoda must-see TV, but it also upset some viewers. Letters sent to USA Today claimed that the duo's actions would make others think it was OK to drink in the morning and that the bit wasn't funny. Gifford left the show in 2019 and was replaced by Jenna Bush Hager, who made fun of the drinking, saying that when she joined the show, "I came in and classed this place up" (via Page Six).

The daily drinking on "Today" and her off-the-cuff style made Kathie Lee Gifford an easy target for jokes, and "Saturday Night Live" jumped at the opportunity. Kristen Wiig's impression of Gifford became a hit with fans, turning the bit into a running gag. Wiig's take on Gifford played up the drinking and inappropriate commentary while using Hoda Kotb – played by Michaela Watkins, Jenny  Slate, and Nasim Pedrad over three years – as the straightwoman in the sketches. 

And while "SNL" viewers enjoyed Wiig's over the top version of Gifford, Gifford didn't. The "Today" host talked about Wiig's performance on the show, asking "Can she get another job and go off and do something else?" before saying she didn't think the impression was funny and that Wiig can't sing. The last remark drew gasps and awws from Gifford's own crew, who, along with Kotb, enjoyed the sketches. 

Gifford's inability to take a joke stands in stark contrast to her willingness to make fun of others. In an interview with Page Six, she and Kotb talked about Gifford using Kotb's divorce, which fell on Valentine's Day, to throw her off her game on live TV. 

Aside from Lucille Ball, it seems like everyone loves Martin Short, and for good reason. Short has spent his life making the world laugh, and he's been nothing but gracious the entire time. Sadly, off camera Short has led a tragic life, including the death of his wife, Nancy Dolman, in 2010 when she was just 58 years old. Tow years later, Short appeared on "Today" and sat through what had to be one of the most uncomfortable moments of his life. 

During the interview with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, Gifford brought up Short's marriage, saying, "You and Nancy have got one of the greatest marriages of anybody in show business. How many years for you guys?" Short does his best to play it off, saying that he and his wife have been married for 36 years and that they were "madly in love." He even slid in a joke when Gifford asked "Why?" He quickly responded, "I'm cute."

After the segment and a commercial break, Gifford apologized for her questions, saying that she was unaware that Short's wife had passed away. Short quickly accepted the apology in another interview, saying that Gifford is "sweet" and just didn't have the right information. Online, people praised Short's handling of the situation, calling it "classy," but couldn't help but wonder how Gifford went into the interview not knowing about Dolman's passing.

Kathie Lee Gifford credits Billy Graham's movie, "The Restless Ones," for her decision to become a born-again Christian when she was 12. However, in February 2026, she told Fox News that she is anti-religion, saying, "Religion puts people in chains and Jesus takes them away." In the same interview, she discusses her stance on humanity, stating, "God loves all the little children. And we're all made in the image of God, no matter what color we are, no matter where we come from." A month later, she seemed to put an asterisk on that statement when she discussed the LGBTQ community.

Gifford appeared on Fox News contributor Tomi Lahren's podcast, "Tomi Lahren is Fearless" and was asked how she reconciles her faith with her support for the LGBTQ community. Gifford started to answer by saying, "That one is a four-letter word, and it's called L-O-V-E. Love" before going into how many gay friends she has. It was then that she took a jab at the LGBTQ+ community, saying, "I don't even know how many letters there are now. They really got to stop with that. We know what you mean, you know?"

Gifford then got back to her original point, saying, "I just know what Jesus said: Love your neighbor as you love yourself" and closing it out with, "I don't judge anybody, that's God's business." Her statement led to some online discourse, with some coming out to support the former morning show host, saying, "She's not wrong," while others came out against her, saying "She can go to hell."