Kathie Lee Gifford Recalls How Late Regis Philbin Supported Her During Husband's Cheating Scandal

Kathie Lee Gifford opened up about how supportive the late Regis Philbin was to her when her late husband Frank Gifford was caught in a public cheating scandal in 1997.

Gifford recalled when her husband Gifford was caught in a cheating scandal in the late 90's. According to Gifford, her "Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee" partner was there by her side the entire time.

"Everybody talks about the hard times that I went through that were public. And they were hard times. By any definition they were the most painful times of my life, for sure," Gifford told People.

"But I always knew Regis had my back. He always protected me on the air. The Bible says, ‘You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' I knew my own truth. I was never going to let what the world said about me define me. And he always supported me in all of that."

Gifford's husband died in 2015 of natural causes. Meanwhile, she and Philbin remained close friends even after she left their show in 2000. They even met weeks before Philbin died on July 24.

"We sat right here on my screened porch and we laughed ourselves sick — we always just picked up right where we left off," she continued.

Gifford shared that she noticed that he was visibly weaker during their last meeting. She was even concerned that it would be the last time she would see him.

"We had the best time, and after they left, I just thought to myself, 'Lord, is that the last time I'm going to see my friend?' Because he was failing, I could tell," Gifford added.

Gifford is mourning with Philbin's family. She believes that his legacy will live forever because for her, "There has never been anyone like him. And there never will be.”

According to an official from the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Farmington, CT, Philbin died of heart attack due to coronary artery disease and hypertension.

His family released a statement following his death to celebrate his life and inform his fans of his passing.

"We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved Regis Philbin passed away last night of natural causes, one month shy of his 89th birthday. His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him — for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about," the family’s statement read.