This year has already seen its share of unexpected and tragic moments (and it’s only January!). Yet another of those became known on January 23 as the news broke that legendary talk show host Larry King had died after being hospitalized. Days after his death, his family held a private funeral. His wife has now shared a touching way his family paid tribute to the late talk show host on that sad day.
Days after Larry King’s death, his family laid him to rest, on January 28, in a private ceremony. While his death brought in an onslaught of tributes from other well-known television hosts, such as Jimmy Kimmel and Ryan Seacrest, his widow, Shawn Southwick King, spoke on what took place at the funeral (among other topics about the late host) on Entertainment Tonight. She revealed a special tribute the family did at the ceremony, and said:
We all, it was just family, we wore Larry's suspenders, every one of us. And it was a beautiful, loving ... just perfect, just perfect. It was family. There was no showbiz, no, none of that.
Larry King’s widow spoke on how his death played a role in drawing the family closer together, and also mentioned how death takes away any family drama and tension, noting:
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.
Shawn King's words show just how special the late host was to his family, despite any speculated drama or differences. King’s death came after he was hospitalized in early January for COVID-19. In recent years, the late talk show host had battled several health issues, including a serious heart condition.
The family members' tribute spoke to Larry King's signature fashion statement. Throughout his illustrious career, King was known for wearing his suspenders on his shows, including his CNN show Larry King Live, along with appearances on other television shows and film cameos. The fashion accessory became its own thing, even being incorporated in parodies of the late host on sketch shows such as Saturday Night Live. Having everyone at the funeral wear his suspenders was a nice way to remember him, not only as a broadcasting icon, but as a father and husband.
Many times, when someone is as famous and revered as Larry King, the public tends to send condolences to the person’s family without ever hearing from them. But, Shawn King was able to give the public a glimpse into how the family is now dealing with their loss, and we all hope that they'll be able to come to terms with it in the best way possible.
