“The View” Pays Tribute to Former Host Meredith Vieira's Husband Richard Cohen After His Death: 'Our Dear Friend'

The women of The View paid tribute to one of their own following the news that Meredith Vieira's husband Richard Cohen died.

News broke on the Today show on Jan. 7 that Cohen, Vieira's husband of 38 years, died at age 76 on Christmas Eve, and Joy Behar kicked off that day's episode with a message from the former co-host.

"Our dear friend and OG View moderator Meredith Vieira wanted us to share with all of you that her husband, Richard Cohen, passed away on Christmas Eve," Behar, 82, said. "A lot of people who watched these shows remember Richard. Meredith told us that it is only fitting because he came into this world on Valentine’s Day and he left it on a holiday, so it felt like perfect symmetry."

"In his memoir, Blindsided, Richard was refreshingly candid, even good-humored about the lifelong struggle with MS — he had multiple sclerosis for a long time — and other health battles. I remember he had a cancer scare one time that was devastating to her, and of course to him. But he never let illness control or define his life. That was true about him."

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

Behar continued of the veteran journalist, who battled MS for more than 50 years, "He was a renaissance man, an accomplished writer, a TV producer and a three-time Emmy winner himself. Richard had a long history with us too. Once he got used to Meredith’s big mouth at the Hot Topics table — where she’d spill the tea about their sex life and reveal that she didn’t wear underwear — then he got over it and he loved appearing on The View as a guest to tell his side of the story."

The longtime host of The View said that she and her husband, Steve Janowitz, "enjoyed hanging out with Richard too, off camera" and the couples "went to dinner [together] many times."

Cohen also "adored Whoopi" Goldberg," Behar said, and "Sara [Haines] got to know him when she was at the Today show."

Related: 'The View' Honors Barbara Walters in Tribute Show After Her Death: 'There Will Never Be Another'

Behar shared that Cohen "became a grandfather just this summer" and "was surrounded by family when he died."

"It’s very sad and touching. Three adult children — Ben, Gabe and Lily — came home to spend the entire month with him. They were a very, very close family," she added. "Our hearts go out to our beloved Meredith, as well as Richard’s family and many friends. A life well-lived."

On Today, Savannah Guthrie said that Vieira, 71, who departed The View in 2006 to co-host the Today show with Matt Lauer — is "in really good spirits" after Kotb shared the sad news.

"She was such a beautiful and devoted wife to Richard and he adored Meredith," Guthrie said. "And hanging out with them, they were like the most fun and entertaining, irreverent, cool couple you could hang out with."

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