Monahan died at age 42 in 1998 from colon cancer
Credit: Nathan Congleton/NBC/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Katie Couric reflects on not discussing the possibility of death with her late husband during his colon cancer diagnosis
- Couric has become an advocate for colon cancer awareness and emphasizes the importance of early screenings
- She became a grandmother in 2024 and shared that her grandson is nicknamed Jay in honor of her late husband
While Katie Couric still misses her late husband, Jay Monahan, she has one "regret" from when she was caring for him during his colon cancer diagnosis.
"My biggest regret, I think, was that I never really talked to my husband about the possibility that he might die, quite frankly. We never had those hard conversations," Couric, 69, told USA Today.
"I wish we had gone to talk to somebody who could have helped facilitate that kind of conversation, honestly, because the only way I knew to deal with Jay's illness was to not give up hope and keep saying, 'We'll figure this out,' " she explained.
Couric encouraged others not to be afraid to "accept help, ask for help" if they're a caregiver for someone with cancer. "I tried to do that during the course of Jay's illness. I felt guilty at times, but I knew that I was going to explode if I didn't do that," she said.
Monahan died at age 42 in 1998, while Couric was a host on Today. Their two daughters, Ellie and Carrie, were 6 and 2 at the time of their father's death.
Credit: Robin Platzer/Getty
"He missed seeing his daughters grow up. He missed watching Ellie get married. He missed seeing Carrie, you know, be Phi Beta Kappa at Stanford. He'd be so proud of both of them," she said.
After Monahan's death, Couric frequently highlighted the importance of colon cancer screenings. She had her own colonoscopy done on Today in 2000, and attended events for awareness about the diagnosis.
"We're seeing people in their early 40s, in their 30s and even their 20s being diagnosed with this disease," Couric told the outlet. "It's absolutely critical that at the first sign of any symptom, people go see their doctor and bring up or question whether it could be colorectal cancer."
"I think when you lose somebody like that, it makes you so grateful to be at every chapter of your life, that you actually have multiple chapters to appreciate and enjoy," Couric added.
Couric got remarried to John Molner in 2014, but struggled after her daughters moved out. "When you have kids, it was very important for me to make sure we ate dinner together. You have these responsibilities and school, and all these things give your life a certain rhythm," she said. That rhythm changed in their absence.
Her daughter Ellie, 34, has since welcomed a son named John Albert with her husband Mark Dobrosky in March 2024, making Couric a grandmother. “My only ‘grandmother rule’ is to not tell my daughter what to do,” the journalist told PEOPLE at the time.
Credit: Katie Couric/Instagram
“She’s an extraordinary mom. She’s doing an amazing job. And when it comes to parenting, I just keep my trap shut,” she added.
In an Instagram post from 2024, Couric shared that John Albert will also have a special nickname. “He will be called Jay in honor of his maternal grandfather," she captioned the announcement of her grandson's birth.
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“Mom and Dad are over the moon, I am thrilled to have my first grandchild, Carrie can’t wait to be a cool Aunt and Molner is enjoying handing out cigars. We feel so blessed. 💙🥰🍼👶🏻💙 We’ll have more tomorrow in Wake-Up Call ⏰❤️," she added on the post.
Couric emphasized to USA Today in her recent interview that she now hopes to be "there for a long time" for her grandchildren and feels "so lucky" to see her daughters grow up.
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