Awkward! Kathie Lee Asks Martin Short How His Deceased Wife Is Doing

On the Today Show, co-host Kathie Lee very warmly asked how guest Martin Short’s wife is doing. It was a nice gesture. There’s just one small problem. Martin Short’s wife has been dead for two years.

Ouch.

Martin Short, 62, was on The Today Show Wednesday, promoting Madagascar 3. Things were going great until Kathie Lee Gifford asked kindly, “And you and Nancy have one of the greatest marriages of anybody in show business. How many years now for you guys?” Short didn’t miss a beat, answering, “We … have … married … 36 years.” It probably would have been fine if it had been left there, but Gifford pressed onward: “But you are still like, in love?” to which Short answered, “Madly in love, madly in love.”

Short’s wife, Nancy Dolman died in August 2010 at the age of 58 from ovarian cancer. Remember, this was live TV. Pretty graceful of Short.

Soon as she got the memo on commercial break, Gifford apologized on-air and then took to Twitter to offer an apology, saying, “I send my sincerest apologies to @MartinShort and his family,” she wrote, “He handled situation w/enormous grace and kindness and I’m so grateful.”

Martin’s spokesperson addressed the incident, saying, “Marty never even addressed it with us, he just moved right along. We appreciate if everyone else might do the same so as not to make a huge deal about it either.”

As embarrassing as this is, it has actually happened before. In a 2009 interview on The View, Elizabeth Hasselbeck asked actor Stanley Tucci if his recently deceased wife had gotten a chance to see his new film, “The Lovely Bones.” She also apologized via Twitter, saying, “It was an honest mistake with stanley tucci today i called him to apologize,” she wrote. “He forgave me (such grace)- if only i could forgive myself…”

We’ll cut Kathie Lee the same deal she got from Martin Short. You got off pretty easy, Kathie!