Inside Meredith Vieira and Richard Cohen's 38-Year Marriage — from Unwavering Support to Laughing Through Tough Times

Meredith Vieira and Richard Cohen have endured many highs and lows throughout their nearly four decades-long marriage.

The pair met while working for CBS Evening News and eventually wed on June 14, 1986. Although they would have celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary in mid-2025, it was announced on the Today show on Jan. 7 that Cohen died on Christmas Eve in 2024 at the age of 76.

Cohen, a three-time Emmy-winning CBS News journalist as well as a former senior producer for CBS News and CNN, had been living with multiple sclerosis (MS) for more than 50 years after being diagnosed at just 25. He had also survived two cancer diagnoses during his lifetime.

Vieira had been by his side through it all, with Cohen revealing he told his now-wife he had the chronic disease on their second date. "I told her about the illness, because I sort of learned the hard way to get it on the table," he recalled to Yahoo Life in 2019. "And she really didn’t blink."

Added Vieira, 71: "I’ve always been of the school of thought that you could get hit by a bus the next day, any one of us could. It certainly wasn’t enough to scare me off."

Through the years, as Cohen left his career at CBS News and became an advocate for those living with MS, Vieira praised her husband for his outlook on the disease, which affects the central nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves.

"I think that Richard was dealt a lousy hand. I get angry at that: Why should he have to go through all this? But I've seen what [adversity] does in terms of making you the person you are," she told Good Housekeeping in 2013. "I look at the kind of person Richard is and who the kids are. That's the result of what he's been through."

Related: Meredith Vieira's Husband Richard Cohen Dies at 76 After Living with Multiple Sclerosis for Over 50 Years

As for how she had navigated the hardship, the Today alum recalled to the outlet, "I think about how his mother dealt with his dad, who also had MS. How great she was with him, and how loving and supportive. I took some cues from her."

"You live your life every day; it is what it is. I'm not saying it's a cakewalk at all: If his illness continues to progress, as it does for so many patients, it's never a really positive outcome. But I don't tend to go there, I just live every day," she continued. "Also, it's made me look at Richard in a much different way. I used to think denial was not a good thing, and he's taught me that denial can be a great thing. It's kept him going for many, many years."

In 2019, Vieira revealed on The View that "it's one of those clubs you don't want to join but when you're part of it you realize there are amazing people," adding, "We're within that community and I really do believe that when that's your the card you're dealt, you deal with it and he's amazing. He's doing really well."

At the time, she also noted that he was "still ambulatory" and "actually uses a walker," which she said "ended up being the best thing that could happen."

"He used to use a cane and it really forced his back into a difficult position," the veteran broadcaster explained. "And now, he stands very straight and he very rarely falls down and all those things that can be problematic with MS. And, he's got a great sense of humor. You can think, ‘Why us?’ but then it’s like, ‘Why not us?’ So many people are dealing with stuff and it puts it into perspective."

Related: Who Was Meredith Vieira's Husband Richard Cohen? All About the Late Journalist and Their Decades-Long Romance (Which Started at CBS)

For the longtime couple, one thing that has helped them get through the challenges of Cohen's illness was allowing "each other to vent."

"That's part of the deal. Certainly, he’s allowed to vent, because he’s got chronic illness. But I am too," she told PEOPLE in 2019. "Because there are days I can’t stand it and the limitations it puts on the entire family. It’s good to say it. But we don’t dwell.”

Laughing had been beneficial to Vieira and Cohen, as well. “Richard is a very funny person, and I have a good sense of humor. So that’s sort of our thing," she also told PEOPLE.

Vieira and Cohen are parents to sons Benjamin, 36, and Gabriel, 34, as well as their daughter Lily, 32.

Related: Meredith Vieira's Husband Richard Cohen Opens Up About How His MS Diagnosis Impacted His Marriage

Though Vieira, who retired from her career in broadcast journalism in 2011 to focus on Cohen and their kids, previously noted on The View that it's "totally good" when all three of their now-adult children are home, she admitted that the couple "kind of like having the home to ourselves."

"I love it when our kids come home but I can't wait for them to leave again," she said during the 2019 appearance. "They're old. They're launched. They got wings, now fly. I feel good about that."

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Vieira also told Good Housekeeping in 2013 that being an empty nester had allotted the pair more time to "focus on each other, and that's a good thing."

"I was the first person who would have said, 'I'm going to be so depressed when they're not here.' But I've found it to be nice," she shared. "They come home a lot, and I love who they have become. They're extremely independent young people, very confident in themselves. I think it's good that they're gone. They should be gone. But I do miss the hugs and even the fighting a bit … just the energy of it. It's part of being a kid."

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