NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n\n\n- Marlo Thomas made her first public appearance since Phil Donahue\u2019s death at Family Equality\u2019s annual Night at the Pier gala<\/li>\n
- Demi Moore, Debbie Harry and Nicole Scherzinger were among the stars supporting LGBTQ+ families at the event, held at Pier 60 on Chelsea Piers in New York City<\/li>\n
- $1.5 million was raised to advance legal and lived equality for LGBTQ+ families nationwide<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Marlo Thomas<\/a>\u00a0appeared to be in good spirits on Monday, May 12, as she stepped out in New York City for Night at the Pier, Family Equality\u2019s signature fundraising gala.<\/p>\nIt was the first public appearance the Emmy-winning actress, producer, author and activist has made since the death of her husband,\u00a0Phil Donahue<\/a>. The beloved talk show host\u00a0died in August 2024 at the age of 88<\/a>\u00a0after a long illness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nThomas and Donahue were married for 44 years.\u00a0The longtime couple<\/a>\u00a0first met when she appeared as a guest\u00a0on\u00a0The Phil Donahue Show<\/em>\u00a0in 1977<\/a>, and they wed in 1980. Thomas credited their long bond to the “three L’s” they followed throughout their romance: “Love, listening and lust<\/a>.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\nNever miss a story \u2014 sign up for\u00a0PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a>\u00a0to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"Phil](\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/TGfGBPhZ5SPP1J6yoTUH_3BU7a4=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)\/phil-donahue-marlo-thomas-hillary-new-york-premiere-052423-1-dd39e061bc3546769f28900702d6c993.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas in March 2020.<\/span>Dimitrios Kambouris\/Getty Images<\/p>\nIn the wake of his passing, Thomas has remained out of the spotlight. She even\u00a0missed her annual Thanksgiving Day appearance on the\u00a0Today\u00a0<\/em>show<\/a>\u00a0to promote the work done by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the renowned pediatric treatment center founded by her late father, Danny Thomas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nBut the May 12 Night at the Pier event was special. There, Thomas joined\u00a0Demi Moore<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Debbie Harry<\/a>\u00a0to present entertainment industry powerhouses Jason Weinberg and Merritt Johnson with the Luigi Caiola Luminary Award for their continued advocacy and leadership to help ensure LGBTQ+ families have the legal protections, visibility and support they deserve.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n“The power to create a family doesn\u2019t come from gender or tradition, it comes from love,\u201d Moore said\u00a0in her speech.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n\n\n![\"(L-R)](\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/V44UU2IWVUqIShbL0tKc4CZRuFU=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)\/marlo-thomas-nyc-3-051325-48b26b9b2c38496cbdc1c862d09590e4.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>Merritt Johnson, Marlo Thomas, Demi Moore and Jason Weinberg at Family Equality’s Night at the Pier gala on May 12, 2025 in New York City.<\/span>Dimitrios Kambouris\/Getty<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nOthers honored at the event included Peggy Gillespie, co-founder\/director of Family Diversity Projects, a national nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating discrimination.\u00a0Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in\u00a0Obergefell v. Hodges<\/em>\u00a0(the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court case that ushered in marriage equality), was recognized, too, to mark 10 years of marriage equality.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nAmong the 1,200 guests in the room were a slew of famous faces including\u00a0Tallulah Willis<\/a>,\u00a0Kelly Ripa<\/a>,\u00a0Mark Consuelos<\/a>,\u00a0Jessica Lange<\/a>,\u00a0Georgina Chapman<\/a>,\u00a0Billy Eichner<\/a>,\u00a0Lucy Liu<\/a>,\u00a0Katie Couric<\/a>,\u00a0Ali Wentworth<\/a>,\u00a0Molly Ringwald<\/a>,\u00a0Zachary Quinto<\/a>,\u00a0Jessica Capshaw<\/a>,\u00a0Brandon Flynn<\/a>, Wilson Cruz, Orfeh and Celia Keenan-Bolger, Cole Escola, Louis McCartney, Joy Woods, Fina Strazza and Natalie Venetia Belcon, plus\u00a0Nate Berkus<\/a>\u00a0and Jeremiah Brent, and Michael Arden and Andy Mientus.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Marlo Thomas made her first public appearance since Phil Donahue\u2019s death at Family Equality\u2019s annual Night at the Pier gala<\/li>\n
- Demi Moore, Debbie Harry and Nicole Scherzinger were among the stars supporting LGBTQ+ families at the event, held at Pier 60 on Chelsea Piers in New York City<\/li>\n
- $1.5 million was raised to advance legal and lived equality for LGBTQ+ families nationwide<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Marlo Thomas<\/a>\u00a0appeared to be in good spirits on Monday, May 12, as she stepped out in New York City for Night at the Pier, Family Equality\u2019s signature fundraising gala.<\/p>\n
It was the first public appearance the Emmy-winning actress, producer, author and activist has made since the death of her husband,\u00a0Phil Donahue<\/a>. The beloved talk show host\u00a0died in August 2024 at the age of 88<\/a>\u00a0after a long illness.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nThomas and Donahue were married for 44 years.\u00a0The longtime couple<\/a>\u00a0first met when she appeared as a guest\u00a0on\u00a0The Phil Donahue Show<\/em>\u00a0in 1977<\/a>, and they wed in 1980. Thomas credited their long bond to the “three L’s” they followed throughout their romance: “Love, listening and lust<\/a>.”<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nNever miss a story \u2014 sign up for\u00a0PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a>\u00a0to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n \n<\/div>\n<\/div>Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas in March 2020.<\/span>Dimitrios Kambouris\/Getty Images<\/p>\n In the wake of his passing, Thomas has remained out of the spotlight. She even\u00a0missed her annual Thanksgiving Day appearance on the\u00a0Today\u00a0<\/em>show<\/a>\u00a0to promote the work done by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the renowned pediatric treatment center founded by her late father, Danny Thomas.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nBut the May 12 Night at the Pier event was special. There, Thomas joined\u00a0Demi Moore<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Debbie Harry<\/a>\u00a0to present entertainment industry powerhouses Jason Weinberg and Merritt Johnson with the Luigi Caiola Luminary Award for their continued advocacy and leadership to help ensure LGBTQ+ families have the legal protections, visibility and support they deserve.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n“The power to create a family doesn\u2019t come from gender or tradition, it comes from love,\u201d Moore said\u00a0in her speech.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n\n \n<\/div>\n<\/div>Merritt Johnson, Marlo Thomas, Demi Moore and Jason Weinberg at Family Equality’s Night at the Pier gala on May 12, 2025 in New York City.<\/span>Dimitrios Kambouris\/Getty<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Others honored at the event included Peggy Gillespie, co-founder\/director of Family Diversity Projects, a national nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating discrimination.\u00a0Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in\u00a0Obergefell v. Hodges<\/em>\u00a0(the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court case that ushered in marriage equality), was recognized, too, to mark 10 years of marriage equality.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nAmong the 1,200 guests in the room were a slew of famous faces including\u00a0Tallulah Willis<\/a>,\u00a0Kelly Ripa<\/a>,\u00a0Mark Consuelos<\/a>,\u00a0Jessica Lange<\/a>,\u00a0Georgina Chapman<\/a>,\u00a0Billy Eichner<\/a>,\u00a0Lucy Liu<\/a>,\u00a0Katie Couric<\/a>,\u00a0Ali Wentworth<\/a>,\u00a0Molly Ringwald<\/a>,\u00a0Zachary Quinto<\/a>,\u00a0Jessica Capshaw<\/a>,\u00a0Brandon Flynn<\/a>, Wilson Cruz, Orfeh and Celia Keenan-Bolger, Cole Escola, Louis McCartney, Joy Woods, Fina Strazza and Natalie Venetia Belcon, plus\u00a0Nate Berkus<\/a>\u00a0and Jeremiah Brent, and Michael Arden and Andy Mientus.<\/p>\n
![\"Kelly](\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/uBLSqGtjSdKMY4Z1PP0hQaSgyCM=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(691x213:693x215):format(webp)\/kelly-ripa-nicole-scherzinger-mark-consuelos-family-equality-night-new-york-051325-d180e5bab02949d18b4ce88186b06120.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>![\"Marlo](\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/tULv5036t7qVBFvfJSQcImwaqIo=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(615x0:617x2):format(webp)\/marlo-thomas-nyc-2-051325-c7a25bf53f3548c49fea4329abc3e366.jpg\")
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