Veteran Journalist Richard Cohen, Husband of Meredith Vieira, Passes Away at 76

Richard Cohen, a distinguished journalist and husband to celebrated broadcaster Meredith Vieira, passed away on Christmas Eve at the age of 76. Cohen, who navigated life with remarkable resilience despite a decades-long battle with multiple sclerosis (MS) and surviving two cancer diagnoses, died surrounded by his family.

The Today show announced Cohen's passing on January 7. Co-anchor Hoda Kotb shared that he spent his final moments enveloped in love, with Vieira and their three children—Lily, 32, Gabriel, 34, and Benjamin, 36—by his side. Reflecting on the family’s time together during Thanksgiving, Kotb noted their initial fear of losing him then but added, “Instead, they got a glorious month with their dad.”

Savannah Guthrie, another co-host, painted a vivid picture of Vieira and Cohen’s relationship, describing them as “the most fun and entertaining, irreverent, cool couple you could hang out with.” She commended Vieira’s devotion, adding, “She was such a beautiful and devoted wife to Richard, and he adored Meredith.”

Cohen and Vieira’s love story spanned nearly four decades, beginning with their marriage in 1986. Cohen, diagnosed with MS at 25, chose honesty early in their courtship, revealing his condition on their second date. "I sort of learned the hard way to get it on the table," he told Yahoo Life in 2019. To his relief, Vieira “didn’t blink.”

Vieira later reflected, “You could get hit by a bus the next day, any one of us could. It certainly wasn’t enough to scare me off.” Instead, she became his steadfast advocate, supporting him through the ups and downs of MS and cancer, as well as his eventual departure from CBS News to focus on advocacy.

The couple’s bond was built on humor and unflinching honesty. Vieira once told PEOPLE, “We definitely allow each other to vent. That’s part of the deal.” She acknowledged the toll chronic illness takes, admitting, “There are days I can’t stand it… But we don’t dwell.”

Cohen chronicled these realities in his 2018 memoir, Chasing Hope: A Patient’s Deep Dive into Stem Cells, Faith, and the Future. He wrote, “Chronic illness is a family affair. Spouses have the burden of tending to the needs of a loved one, even when they would secretly rather push him out a window.”

MS, which affects the central nervous system, eventually rendered Cohen legally blind. He also survived two bouts of colon cancer and a blood clot in his lung. Through it all, he remained unwaveringly optimistic, writing, “I want to have a long-term relationship with hope… Perhaps I need a lot.”

Vieira’s dedication extended to her career, stepping back from her role on Today in 2011 to prioritize her family. At the time, she poignantly noted, “Time is one of those weird things… I want to spend more of mine with my husband, Richard, and my kids.”