Kathie Lee’s Faith Message

Veteran television personality Kathie Lee Gifford is opening up about faith, compassion and cultural conversations surrounding Christianity and the LGBTQIA+ community.

During the Monday, March 9 episode of Outkick’s Tomi Lahren Is Fearless podcast, the longtime broadcaster discussed how her Christian beliefs inform the way she approaches differences in belief or identity. Gifford, 72, emphasized that her guiding principle is rooted in compassion rather than judgment, explaining that love must remain central to her worldview.

“Love cannot live alongside hatred. It’s oil and water.”

The discussion unfolded after host Tomi Lahren, 33, referenced recent headlines involving actor Shia LaBeouf, who has been publicly discussing his deepening commitment to Catholicism. In a February 28 interview with Andrew Callaghan on Channel 5 With Andrew Callaghan, LaBeouf alluded to biblical teachings while reflecting on religion and morality, prompting broader discussion about how Christians interpret scripture in modern cultural debates.

Gifford, who rose to national prominence through decades in daytime television, indicated she has long believed that faith should lead to empathy rather than condemnation. She reiterated that she does not see her role as telling others how to live, instead pointing to the biblical commandment to love one’s neighbor.

The perspective is consistent with the public image Gifford cultivated throughout her career. From her years alongside Regis Philbin on Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee to her later tenure with Hoda Kotb on NBC’s Today, she frequently spoke about faith, family and personal values while navigating conversations with a broad daytime audience.

Since stepping away from Today in 2019, Gifford has continued to explore those themes through books, films and speaking engagements. Her latest novel, Nero and Paul: How the Gospel of Grace Defeated the Ruler of Rome, expands on her interest in biblical history and the early Christian church.

Promoting the book on social media on Tuesday, March 10, Gifford described the project as a reflection on enduring spiritual themes and the power of grace. The release marks another chapter in a post–daytime-TV career increasingly centered on storytelling, faith-based projects and historical narratives about Christianity’s origins.