Kathie Lee Gifford Criticizes Parents of Addicts and Gets Criticized in Return

August 10th, 2012 | Add a Comment

Kathie Lee Gifford, a very well-known and recognized T.V personality star, featured on countless shows, has done very well for herself over the years. Her most famous role was appearing alongside Regis Philbin as his co-host on the daytime talk show, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee.

Just recently in an interview with the magazine Family Circle, Gifford went on a rant about how the parents of drug addicts are basically failures and did a bad job raising their children. She went on to say more about the subject accusing the parents of drug and alcohol addicted kids that they must not be doing something right if their sons or daughters are getting into trouble with the law because of their habit. She said this about her own parenting skills, “”I’m not a perfect mom, but my kids haven’t been arrested, in rehab or kicked out of school, so I must be doing something right!”

Soon after the magazine was distributed to the public, uproar ensued – angry parents who had children, unfortunately with the disease of addiction, and in no way thought they did a bad job of raising their offspring, were outraged at Gifford’s insensitive comments. Gifford immediately got struck with disapproval by not only parents but adoring fans, calling her a “thoughtless human being.” Gifford’s Facebook page began filling up with comments from parents who were outraged by her fallacious tirade. One Facebook commenter wrote on her wall: “Well Kathie, here is a pic of my little brother who we lost at the age of 33 yrs old due to a DISEASE called DRUG ADDICTION. I find it funny we were both raised by the same woman called MOM … I am NOT an ADDICT and NEVER was … Poor parenting?? Gimme a break.” Another comment by a Facebook user stated, “I’m glad you never had to face any of your babies drowning in a disease they could not be cured from. I lost my baby at the age of 32 to a heroin overdose in Sept 2010. I am a doctor and worked hard my entire life to give her the best.”

Being an alcoholic and drug addict myself, I too have parents that have been tragically affected by my disease but in no way shape or form do I consider them as failing parents. They did the best they could and it was by my own actions that I brought this on myself. It was not bad parenting skills. My mother and father have stayed by my side and have never given up hope that I could recover from this disease. My mother who attends AL ANON meetings regularly says this to herself constantly and it is 100% true, that there are three C’s; you DIDN’T cause it, you CAN’T cure it, and you CAN’T control it. Kathie Gifford is undoubtedly wrong in her accusation of parents who have drug addicted children. The parents are certainly not failures nor are they at fault for their children’s unwise decisions.

Work Cited

“Kathie Lee Gifford Ripped by Fans for Dissing Parents of Druggies” TMZ. EHM Productions, Inc. 8 June 2012. Web. 9 June 2012.

By Matt B.