Throwback Photos Of Sally Jessy Raphael & Her Husband Spotlight Their Lasting Love

Even though Sally Jessy Raphael's show was canceled way back in 2002, she and her red glasses remain a core memory for anyone who watched daytime TV during the 1980s and '90s. Raphael's personal and professional lives were tightly intertwined, since her longtime husband, Karl Soderlund, acted as her manager and sometimes as a producer of her shows. Raphael said on the "Off the Cupp" podcast in February 2026 that when she was on late-night radio, Soderlund was right there with her in the studio, screening the calls even though he wasn't earning a salary. Raphael had been married before, but this second time was truly the charm for her. She and Soderlund were married from 1962 until his death in 2020.

Months earlier, Soderlund had celebrated his 90th birthday. "Somehow, over 60 years, my Peter Pan husband has remained forever young and handsome!" Raphael gushed on X, along with a sweet photo of the two of them sitting together. This was just one of many times the couple's enduring bond was captured on camera.

Ron Galella/Getty

As these pics from 1989 and 1990 demonstrate, Soderlund steadfastly supported Raphael, and he was by her side when she won a 1989 Daytime Emmy for hosting her talk show. Raphael posted an alternate shot of the smooching Emmy photo on her Instagram account in 2024. "There was never a dull moment with my late husband Karl!" the TV legend captioned the carousel of pics, along with some hilarious moments, like when the pair dressed up as jesters or arm wrestled at a restaurant.

In March 2026, Sally Jessy Raphael posted a poignant tribute to Karl Soderlund, her late husband. "Happy Birthday Karl ... love you & miss you everyday," she wrote on Instagram, along with photo of the two of them beaming and standing shoulder-to-shoulder. The TV icon turned 90 in the previous May, and although Raphael isn't as publicly visible as she used to be, she's still keeping busy. "You got to have something to do, something to love, and something to hope for," Raphael explained to Sherri Shepherd in 2024. 

The former radio personality spoke more about how she spends her time in her February 2026 appearance on "Off the Cupp." Raphael noted then that she misses having her own platform to share her views. However, since she's not busy with a daily TV show, she has plenty of time to travel the world and engage in one of her favorite hobbies — freshwater fly fishing. 

Raphael also tried dating once more. "I've settled on somebody," Raphael informed People in May 2025 — a comment which seems to indicate that whoever caught her eye might not quite compare to Soderlund. A year earlier on Shepherd's show, Raphael revealed to the former co-host of "The View" that she'd set up an online profile and dated a doctor, lawyer, and astronomer. Surprisingly, these individuals were unaware of Raphael's status as a longtime TV personality. Clearly that wasn't a dealbreaker, and she ended up pursuing a relationship with one of them.