Kathie Lee Gifford isn’t there for Kelly Ripa‘s new stories! The iconic TV host, 69, flat out says she won’t be reading Kelly’s new book Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories. “I was very sorry to see the headlines,” the former Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee host told Fox 5’s Rosanna Scotto in an October 10 interview, per Us Weekly. “You know, you never know what’s true and what’s not true. I went, ‘I hope this isn’t true. I just hope it isn’t.’ ‘Cause what’s the point? I don’t get it. I don’t get it.” The comments were in response to Kelly’s claims about her relationship with Regis Philbin, with whom both women hosted the legendary daytime talk show — Kelly famously took Kathie’s place in 2001. Regis died in July 2020 at age 88.
Specifically, per Us, Kelly claimed in the book that there was a power struggle and questioned the idea of “seniority,” claiming it was never bestowed on her. “My name had to be smaller than Regis’ name on the Live! title card and branding,” she wrote. “A game of inches, which speaks for itself. But on that we agreed. Seniority, after all.” The gorgeous mother of three took over for Kathie in 2001 and hosted the show alongside the veteran host until 2011.
Kathie continued, defending the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire alum. “I’m not gonna read the book,” she said during the October 10 interview. “I haven’t read it. I don’t even know if it’s out yet.” Going further, she expounded on her friendship with Regis. “I just know what Regis was to me, Rosanna,” she explained. “He was 15 years the best partner I could ever have professionally. But he was my friend. We were dear friends and after I left the show … for the next 20 years we became better friends. Dearer friends.” She also remembered the “last time” she heard Regis laugh, two weeks before his death, and hoped that the publicity for the book wouldn’t negatively impact his widow Joy Philbin and his four grown children, including Joanna and J.J. with Joy.
“Lord, protect Joy and the girls from this,” she said, adding, “In all the years I’ve known him, I never saw him unkind to anyone. I never did. I’m just saying my reality is something completely different from that.”
