Katie Couric Says She Penned Controversial Memoir To Make Late Husband Jay Monahan 'Come Alive' For Their Daughters
Katie Couric's memoir Going There has made headlines for its controversial comments about her co-workers and others, but the reporter said the chapters about her late husband Jay Monahan are the heart of the book.
The reporter appeared on the Today show on Tuesday, October 19, to discuss the book.
The 64-year-old said that she wrote Going There to make her late husband "come alive" for their two daughters, Ellie and Carrie.
"I just thought this was a good time to look back," she explained. "Because you know they were 6 and 2 when he passed away."
Couric explained that it was "a big goal" to "talk about our courtship and why we fell in love."
"I dedicate it to Ellie and Carrie because I really wanted them to get to know the father they never got to know," she said. "And they both called me in tears, and I think they’re grateful for the book."
Couric admitted that she has a lot of regrets regarding Monahan's battle with cancer. "Jay and I never really talked about the fact that he could die," she shared.
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She said at the time she "was terrified to give up hope."
Later during the appearance, she said she has done a "lot of soul-searching" about how she helped Monahan towards the end of his life. "I think there’s a line in the book where I said, 'I did everything I could to help Jay live. I wish I’d done a better job helping him die,'" she explained.
Couric said she knows her late husband would be proud of the work she has done for colon cancer as she has "been able to help people take active measures to save their lives."
According to Couric, the pair did not have the most romantic start. "I was always very goal-oriented, both professionally and then when I turned 30, I was like, 'I better get married to find a nice husband," the former Today host said. "I kind of really treated it almost as if I was looking for a job."
Monahan passed away in 1998 aged 42 following a battle with colon cancer.
During the appearance, the Katie Couric Media founder opened up about former co-worker Matt Lauer's sexual harassment scandal. "It took me a long time to process what was going on, because the side of Matt I knew was the man I think you all knew: He was kind and generous and considerate, a good colleague," she told Savannah Guthrie.
Couric told Guthrie that she has no relationship with Lauer.
