![Phil Donahue dies](https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/66c347b423000032007ca081.jpeg?cache=TxTcDhJPHU&ops=scalefit_720_noupscale&format=webp)
Phil Donahue, the renowned TV talk show host, died Sunday evening surrounded by his loved ones, his family said in a statement shared with NBC’s “Today” show. He was 88.
Donahue “passed away peacefully following a long illness,” the statement reads.
In May, Donahue was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor, for his contributions to the TV industry.
“Phil Donahue broadcast the power of personal stories in living rooms all across America,” President Joe Biden said during the ceremony. “He helped change hearts and minds through honest and open dialogue.”
Donahue, who hailed from Cleveland, started his career in radio before launching his famous TV show.