Former “Today” show anchor Richard Cohen, husband of former anchor Meredith Vieira, died on Christmas Eve, the show’s current co-anchors announced Tuesday. He was 76 years old.
Cohen, an Emmy Award-winning journalist who built a career as a producer at both CBS News and CNN, lived for more than 50 years before his death. Multiple sclerosisIt is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. He and Vieira have been married for 38 years and have three children: Benjamin Cohen, 36, Gabrielle Cohen, 34, and Lily Cohen, 32.
“Today” anchors Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie announced Cohen’s death during Tuesday morning’s episode of the NBC series. Kotb said Cohen was “surrounded by his family and love” when he died.
“Meredith said all the kids came over for Thanksgiving because they were worried they were going to lose him early,” Kotb said. “But instead, they got a month, a glorious month, with their father,” she added.
Vieira “was in really good spirits,” Guthrie said, adding that the family recently welcomed a new grandson.
Photography by Scott Roth/Invision/AP
The hosts shared the news of Cohen’s death during a segment that paid tribute to his legacy as a journalist, author and advocate for people with chronic illnesses. Vieira’s husband has been open about his multiple sclerosis diagnosis, including one interview with his wife on the “Today” show in 2018, which was featured in the clip.
“I was diagnosed when I was 25 and was told there was no hope,” Cohen said in that 2018 interview. “It’s diagnosed. Goodbye. There’s not much we can do.”
Sharing his health journey and speaking on behalf of others became intertwined with Cohen’s work, as his illness was a focal point of his 2004 autobiography Blind: Raising a Life Above Illness: A Reluctant Memoir, as well as his later writings. Cohen also survived two bouts of cancer.
Cohen was celebrated on the “Today” show for his sense of humor and remembered as someone who “lived life to the fullest.”
What is multiple sclerosis?
Multiple sclerosis, often abbreviated MS, is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks itself. It targets the central nervous system and can affect the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. According to To the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Symptoms of the disease can vary in type and severity, but since MS disrupts communication between the brain and body, it can cause problems such as fatigue, memory loss, mood changes, movement problems and poor vision. Cohen was legally blind.
What causes MS is not known, and why the disease appears in some people and not others is unclear. According to the Mayo Clinic, it is believed that genetic and environmental factors may increase an individual’s risk of developing the disease.
It is incurable, but there are treatments. The disease is rarely fatal, and most people diagnosed with it have a normal life expectancy Cleveland Clinic.