Larry King’s wife Shawn admits she’s ‘still processing’ the death of the TV legend… as she opens up for the first time since his passing at 87-years-old
- King passed away at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Saturday
- No cause of death was given, but three weeks ago King was revealed to have been hospitalized with coronavirus since late December
- Shawn and Larry were estranged at the time of his passing. He filed for divorce in 2019 but the process was not finalized
- The former couple share sons Chance, 21, and Cannon, 20. He also has a 59-year-old son Larry King Jr. from his marriage to Annette Kaye
- King conducted over 50,000 high-profile talks with presidents, world leaders, Hollywood royalty and sports stars during the course of his six decade career
Larry King’s wife Shawn King is reflecting on the loss of her TV legend husband after his passing last Saturday at 87-years-old.
Mrs. King – who had been estranged from her husband of 14-years since he filed for divorce in August 2019 – admitted she was ‘still processing’ his death, telling Entertainment Tonight things happened quickly.
‘We laid him to rest this morning,’ she told ET’s Kevin Frazier. ‘And in the Jewish faith, they do it very quickly, so you almost don’t have time to, for me, to process.’
‘I’m still processing. And as are the boys, the whole family is just, you know, yeah.’
Heartbroken: Shawn King – the estranged wife of late broadcaster Larry King – said she was ‘still processing’ his death as she opened up in her first interview since his passing last Saturday. She’s seen in 2015 above
Shawn and Larry’s 21-year-old son Chance and 20-year-old son Cannon were at dad’s side when he passed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles over the weekend. Larry also has 59-year-old song Larry King, Jr. from his marriage to Annette Kaye.
As an homage to the late great, Shawn – who is 26-years younger that Larry – said everyone wore his signature suspenders to the funeral service.
‘We all, it was just family, we wore Larry’s suspenders, every one of us,’ she said.
‘And it was a beautiful, loving … just perfect, just perfect. It was family. There was no showbiz, no, none of that.’
While heartbroken, Shawn said she grateful for how Larry’s death put things into perspective, saying: ‘Death is maybe the great equalizer, I think.’
‘You know, when you experience it with people who we really, really love, all the other noise and the nonsense that could be surrounding, it just goes away and the family goes close together. And that’s what happened. You know, it was beautiful.’
RIP: ‘We laid him to rest this morning,’ she told ET’s Kevin Frazier. ‘And in the Jewish faith, they do it very quickly, so you almost don’t have time to, for me, to process.’ The estranged couple are seen in 1997 above
Passion: As an homage to the late great, Shawn – who is 26-years younger that Larry – said everyone wore his signature suspenders to the funeral service. They’re seen in 2006 above
The family has been leaning on one another during these tough times.
Chance and Cannon were spotted out with their half-brother Danny Southwick and his wife Tilly Southwick on Tuesday afternoon, enjoying a walk to Roxbury Memorial Park in Beverly Hills.
The elder Mr. King passed away Saturday. No cause of death was given, however, it comes three weeks after King was revealed to have been hospitalized with coronavirus since late December.
His sons remembered him in joint statement shared to Facebook shortly after news of King’s death, writing: ‘We are heartbroken over our father’s death, and together with our extended family mourn his passing.’
Banding together: Chance and Cannon were spotted out with their half-brother Danny Southwick and his wife Tilly Southwick on Tuesday afternoon, enjoying a walk to Roxbury Memorial Park in Beverly Hills
Support system: The family has come together after Larry’s death at 87-years-old
The three noted that, while ‘the world knew Larry King as a great broadcaster and interviewer,’ he ‘was the man who lovingly obsessed over’ their daily schedules.
In addition to caring for their well-being, the trio said their father took pride in their accomplishments, regardless if they were ‘large, small, or imagined.’
‘Through it all, we knew without a doubt in the world that he loved us more than life itself. He was an amazing father, and he was fiercely loyal to those lucky enough to call him a friend. We will miss him every single day of our lives,’ they reflected.
Before expressing their deep appreciation for the ‘outpouring of love,’ the men asked ‘in lieu of flowers’ that fans consider donating to the American Heart Association or the Beverly Hills Fire Department EMS, who provided ‘wonderful care for their dad in his final years.’
Family man: The late 87-year-old star’s sons broke their silence about their father’s death as they reflected on his legendary life and described him as an ‘amazing father.’ Chance King, 21, is seen in the center embracing his father. Cannon King, 20, is seen on the right. Dallen Engemann, nephew and first cousin to the boys is pictured on the left.
King is believed to have caught coronavirus from a health care worker visiting his home, a source told NBC. One of his sons, who has not been named, has also tested positive, they said.
His advanced age and poor health placed him at elevated risk. He had suffered numerous health issues in the past, including a heart attack, prostate and lung cancer, a stroke, and type two diabetes
His recent health battle capped a difficult year for King, whose two children Andy, 65, and Chaia, 51, died from a heart attack and lung cancer, respectively, within one week of each other in August 2020.
Despite his ailing health, he had continued hosting weekly talk show, Politicking with Larry King, until his death.
‘For 63 years and across the platforms of radio, television and digital media, Larry’s many thousands of interviews, awards, and global acclaim stand as a testament to his unique and lasting talent as a broadcaster,’ Ora Media said.
No cause of death was given, however, it comes three weeks after King was revealed to have been hospitalized with coronavirus 10 days earlier; pictured in 2003
‘Funeral arrangements and a memorial service will be announced later in coordination with the King family, who ask for their privacy at this time.’
Described as the ‘Muhammad Ali of the broadcast interview’, King conducted over 50,000 high-profile talks with presidents, world leaders, Hollywood royalty and sports stars during the course of his career that spanned over six decades.
He was also known for his string of high-profile romances and unsuccessful marriages, eight in total to seven different women, including Playboy Bunny Alene Akins.
From his eight marriages, King had five children and nine grandchildren, as well as four great-grandchildren.
He was last married to Shawn Southwick, 26 years his junior, with whom he shared two sons, Chance, 21, and Cannon, 20.
The marriage was King’s longest, spanning 22 years until the couple’s split in 2019.
Tributes poured in for the veteran talk show host in the wake of his passing Saturday morning, with fellow broadcasters including Keith Olbermann, Piers Morgan and Steve Kornacki, paying their respects to the legend on social media.
Tragic: His recent health battle capped a difficult year for King, whose two children Andy, 65, and Chaia, 51, died from a heart attack and lung cancer, respectively, within one week of each other in August 2020
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