A ‘GMA’ love story: When Frank Gifford met Kathie Lee

Frank Gifford, the former New York Giants player and sportscaster who died Sunday of natural causes at the age of 84, is remembered for his success on and off the field — and for his marriage to talk show host Kathie Lee Gifford.

Kathie Lee, 61, often invoked Frank’s name while hosting the fourth hour of the Today show. He visited her shows on her birthday (his birthday, too — this Sunday) and acted as her co-host from time to time.

Five years ago, Frank told the story of how they got together in a video for the Archive of American Television: “I didn’t like getting up in the morning,” he said about filling in as a host for Good Morning America. “Couple times I did it on the way home. Seemed to make more sense. I left PJ Clarke’s at 1 or 2 in the morning, I had to be in there at 5, so why go home?”

On one of those nights/early mornings, he met Kathie Lee on the GMA set. “Right away she was so much fun. She was so alive and adorable,” he said. They were married in 1986, on a beach in Bridgehampton, N.Y. It was her second marriage, his third.

LAWYERS SPEAK

Lawyers for the partner of Bobbi Kristina Brown say a lawsuit accusing him of contributing to her death is false and slanderous. The administrator of Brown’s estate added a wrongful death count to the lawsuit against Nick Gordon, accusing him of giving Brown a “toxic cocktail” and putting her face down in water. Gordon’s lawyers, Joe Habachy and Jose Baez, said the allegations are baseless. Gordon hasn’t been criminally charged.

BEHIND THE MUSIC

New Edition will be the subject of a BET miniseries. The network and Jesse Collins Entertainment announced they are producing a still-untitled three-night miniseries chronicling the Candy Girl and Cool It Now group. New Edition members Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant will serve as consultants and executive producers; founding member Bobby Brown was not mentioned.

‘O’ DEAR

Jackass star Steve-O was arrested for climbing a crane in Hollywood in a protest against Seaworld. Stephen Glover, 41, drew dozens of emergency responders Sunday night to a construction site on Sunset Boulevard, where he climbed a crane at least 100 feet high. After reaching the top, Glover inflated a killer whale balloon with the words “Seaworld Sucks” and lit fireworks. He was booked for investigation of several charges, including conspiracy to commit trespassing and filming without a permit. A court date was scheduled for Aug. 31.

REMEMBERING ELVIS

A Tennessee woman who was Elvis Presley’s private nurse is releasing a book of short stories about her life around the music legend and his family. The Jackson Sun reports Letetia Henley Kirk lived on the grounds of Graceland — Presley’s Memphis home — with her husband and two young daughters from 1972 to 1983 and often traveled with Presley on tour. Taking Care of Elvis was released Monday.

BATTLE RAGES ON

Kelly Rutherford's bitter custody battle just won’t quit. The actress’ ex, Daniel Giersch, has accused her of child abduction and extortion after she refused to return their two kids to him in Monaco. “Daniel will continue to protect the children from any harm and any media exposure,” his lawyer Fahi Takesh Hallin said in a statement to E! News. Rutherford told ABC News she refused to put Hermes, 8, and Helen, 6, on a plane because she felt the decisions made by two American courts not to take jurisdiction over them had put her in an “odd place.”

BOATING ACCIDENT

The search is still on for Ian Jones, the model boyfriend of rocker Annie Lennox's daughter, Tali Lennox-Fruchtmann, who disappeared after the couple's kayak capsized on the Hudson River Saturday morning. Dutchess County Sheriff’s Capt. John Watterson tells People that alcohol “may have played a role.” Neither were wearing life jackets. Lennox-Fruchtmann, 22, was in the water for about 20 minutes before being rescued and is “upset” but otherwise OK, as per Watterson.

This story was originally published August 10, 2015 at 9:35 PM with the headline "A ‘GMA’ love story: When Frank Gifford met Kathie Lee."