All About Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas' 5 Children

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Phillip Faraone/FilmMagic

Phillip Faraone/FilmMagic

Marlo Thomasand the latePhil Donahueembraced their modern family.

The “King of Daytime Talk” — whodied on Aug. 18at age 88 — was a father to five children: Michael, Kevin, Daniel, Mary Rose and James.

Phil and his college sweetheart, Margaret Cooney, married right after the couple graduated in 1958. The pair then welcomed five kids before divorcing in 1975 after 17 years of marriage. In the divorce settlement, Phil retained custody of his four sons, while Cooney got custody of their daughter.

Phil married Marlo on May 21, 1980. Marlo became the kids’ stepmother — a role she was happy to take on. In May 2011, Marlo toldAARP.orgthat she never planned to be a “mother to Phil’s children in the traditional sense” because they already had a mom. She said she wanted to be a “friend” instead.

“When I was growing up, my mother was always a friend to my siblings and me (in addition to being all the other things a mom is)," she explained. “So I used that model with Phil’s kids, and I’m proud to say that the friendships I established with them are as strong today as they were 30 years ago — even stronger.”

From 1967 to 1996, Phil hostedThe Phil Donahue Show. After the show ended, he returned to prime time in 2002 with the MSNBC showDonahue. That year,Oprah Winfreyinterviewed Phil forO, The Oprah Magazineand asked what his children thought of his return to television.

“They’re surprised. But they’ve also said, ‘Go get ‘em, Pop,’ ” he said. “I’m not 29 anymore, my wife isn’t pregnant, I’m not trying to raise kids, I don’t have a mortgage — so it takes less courage for me to speak up.”

Here’s everything to know about Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas’ five children: Michael, Kevin, Daniel, Mary Rose and James.

Michael Phillip Donahue

Robin Platzer/Getty

Phil and Cooney’s oldest child is son Michael Phillip Donahue, born in 1959.

Michael married Martha Reed von Gal, who is known as Reed, on April 27, 1991, according toTheNew York Times. The couple tied the knot at St. Michael Parish in Greenwich, Connecticut. Reed graduated from Saint Michael’s College with a bachelor of arts in sociology and later from Boston College with a master’s degree in social work. In 2020, Marloshared on Facebookthat for more than 20 years, Reed was the owner and director of the Little Red Wagon PlaySchool.

Michael and Reed are parents to two children: a son, Connor, and a daughter, Kenzie. Marlo referred to her stepgrandson — who is also her godson — as her “soulmate” onInstagram.

Even though Marlo and her grandchildren are not biologically related, she shows plenty of love and affection for them. Inanother postfrom 2015, Marlo wrote, “Kenzie is not my [biological] grandchild. But I love her as I do all my biological nieces and nephews. She is my family and I love every moment of her dear life that we have shared.”

Kevin John Donahue

Marlo Thomas Facebook

Phil and Cooney’s second child is their son Kevin John Donahue, born around 1959.

After his parents’ divorce, Kevin and his three brothers stayed with their father in Ohio. Phil’s family lived outside of Dayton, Ohio, which was the original site ofThe Phil Donahue Showuntil 1974, whenthe show moved to Chicago. The show transitioned over to New York City in 1984 before its end in 1996.

Kevin began studying at the University of Kansas in 1979. As of 2013, he lived near his father and stepmother in N.Y.C.According to Marlo, he has run marathons in his 30s, 40s and 50s, including in Stockholm in 1996.

Over the years, he’s gone on several outings with his father and stepmother. In 2011, Marlo posted a photo with Kevinon Facebook, sharing that the trio enjoyed a day on their boat in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

The family also made a special trip together up to the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, as documented onMarlo’s social media.

Daniel Timothy Donahue

Phil and Cooney’s third child is son Daniel Timothy Donahue, born in about 1961. Not much is known about Daniel, who lived in Connecticut as of 2013, according to Marlo.

Daniel hasvisited his parentsfor holidays, including on Thanksgiving with his dad, stepmother and brother Kevin.

Mary Rose Donahue

Michael Ferguson/PHOTOlink/Alamy

Phil and Cooney had one daughter, Mary Rose Donahue, born around 1965.

After the couple’s divorce, Cooney retained custody of Mary Rose and they moved to New Mexico, where Cooney grew up.

In August 2011,Marlo sharedthat Mary Rose had recently begun culinary school. She took her stepdaughter to visit the restaurant Topper’s in Nantucket, Massachusetts, where they spoke to the restaurant’s chef, Tom Pearson.

Mary Rose and her siblings have been a staple at the family’s holiday gatherings. She’s celebratedChristmas EveandChristmas Daywith her family, and evenhelped her dadcarve the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.

James “Jim” Patrick Donahue

Phil and Cooney’s youngest child is James “Jim” Patrick Donahue, born around 1963.

Jim died of an aortic aneurysm at age 51 in August 2014,theDayton Daily Newsreported. The Donahues’ former Ohio neighbor, Maddi Breslin, described Jim as a thoughtful boy with a lot of friends. “I dearly loved him and thought of him as one of my own kids,” Breslin added.

Marlo referred to her stepson as “a great light in our family, a funny character and an independent spirit” in a message to friends.

source: people.com