Marlo Thomas pays tribute to her “dear” husband and talk show legend Phil Donahue after his tragic death

Marlo Thomas has paid tribute to her late husband, talk show legend Phil Donahue.

The host of the Phil Donahue Show died on Sunday at the age of 88 in his home surrounded by his relatives, including his wife, the actress.

On Instagram, she captioned a sweet photo of the two riding their motorbikes together on holiday: “I'm sure you've heard by now the very sad news that I lost my sweetheart last night.”

“I know you understand that I will be stepping away from this site for a while to take care of myself and the many people who cared for Phil and carried him in their hearts.

Marlo Thomas, 86, has paid tribute to her late husband, talk show legend Phil Donahue (pictured together, in happier times, during a European vacation).

“But I didn't want to leave without saying thank you for the wonderful messages of love and support that have come my way throughout the day,” the 86-year-old actress explained.

'[A]and for the wonderful and generous way in which you have shared Phil and I in our life's adventure over the years.'

She continued: “As a man who has spent his career loving his audience, Phil has had so much fun in our cozy little community [on social media]and I know he would be very touched by the heartwarming thoughts and memories you shared with him.

“Until I return, I wish you good health and happy days surrounded by family and friends, and I hope you continue to keep those who mean most to you close to you, just as I have been fortunate to have my beloved Phillip close to me,” said Donahue's second wife.

“Love, Marlo,” she wrote, sharing an old photo of the couple on vacation in Europe.

“PS: This is one of my favorite photos of Phil and me,” she wrote.[T]'On holiday.'

Countless comments followed with words of comfort for a woman who was married to Donahue for the past 44 years.

The two actually met on the set of his show in 1977 – Donahue was the host and Thomas was the guest.

Donahue was married to Thomas for the past 44 years, having fathered five children. His youngest son, Honolulu attorney James Donahue, died almost exactly ten years ago at the age of 51 from an unexpected aneurysm.

The couple (seen here on the set of The Phil Donahue Show) met on the show in 1977 – Donahue was the host and Thomas was his guest

The two married just three years later after Thomas and the TV presenter “had instant chemistry,” as she revealed in a post on Gacebook in 2015.

“Phil and I met on his talk show 'Donahue' in 1977,” Thomas, who continues to work as an actor and producer, wrote at the time.

“He flirted, I giggled and his television audience watched us fall in love.”

The couple married in 1980 and had five children.

Meanwhile, the show went on, and Donahue hosted big names like Bill Clinton, Muhammad Ali, Johnny Carson, Ayn Rand and Nelson Mandela on his groundbreaking show for 16 more years.

He also won 20 Emmys – 10 for outstanding host and 10 for the entire show.

Just last month, Marlo posted a more recent photo of the icon on Instagram, showing him feeding a horse on a farm in Canada.

Unlike in May, when he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Joe Biden, this time he stood on his own with the help of a cane and appeared healthy and happy in this idyllic setting.

The photo was taken at least a year and a half ago, during the filming of Hallmark's A Magical Christmas Village, in which Thomas played a leading role.

HGi's show featured spots featuring famous people like Bill Clinton, not to mention Muhammad Ali, Johnny Carson, Ayn Rand and Nelson Mandela

Ali and fellow boxers Joe Frazier, Larry Holmes and Ken Norton appear in a particularly memorable segment that aired in November 1989, titled Champions Forever.

Oprah Winfrey – who is worth more than $3 billion since her time as an actress following in Donahue's footsteps – famously said in 2002, “If it weren't for The Phil Donahue Show, there would be no Oprah Winfrey.”

Over the course of his career, Donahue won 20 Emmys – 10 for outstanding hosting and 10 for the entire show

“Phil and I met on his talk show 'Donahue' in 1977,” Thomas wrote in 2015, recalling their “instant chemistry.” She added, “He flirted, I giggled, and his television audience watched us fall in love.” The couple married in 1980 and have been married ever since.

The actress remembered the occasion with a loving caption, writing to her 145,000 followers: “Here's a favorite shot of Phil feeding the horses in the morning near the house we stayed in in Canada.”

“A nice start to the day!”

Since then, the well-remembered television star has received a ton of honors, as his approach to daytime television was a role model for well-known personalities such as Oprah Winfrey, Geraldo Rivera and Sally Jesse Raphael.

Winfrey, who is worth more than $3 billion, famously said in 2002, “If it weren't for The Phil Donahue Show, there would be no Oprah Winfrey,” and on Monday she issued a statement of her own reiterating those views.

“There would have been no Oprah show if Phil Donahue had not been the first to prove that daytime talk shows and female television viewers should be taken seriously,” she wrote.

“He was a pioneer. I'm glad I was able to thank him for that. Rest in peace, Phil.”

Donahue leaves behind his wife, sister, children and grandchildren, all of whom were by his side when he died.