Larry King’s surviving children are paying tribute to what they’ll cherish most about his memory.
The legendary TV host and interviewer died on Saturday at age 87 and his three sons, Larry King Jr., Chance King and Cannon King, shared their sorrow in a joint social media statement the following morning.
“We are heartbroken over our father’s death, and together with our extended family mourn his passing. The world knew Larry King as a great broadcaster and interviewer, but to us he was ‘Dad,'” the post read.
Statement from the family of Larry King pic.twitter.com/LgBiZKFwcJ
— Larry King (@kingsthings) January 24, 2021
The trio went on to honor the personal legacy King leaves behind beyond the on-air persona viewers had grown to love over his six-decade career.
“He was the man who lovingly obsessed over our daily schedules and our well-being, and who took such immense pride in our accomplishments — large, small, or imagined. And, through it all, we knew without a doubt in the world that he loved us more than life itself. He was an amazing father, and he was fiercely loyal to those lucky enough to call him a friend. We will miss him every single day of our lives,” the post continued.
Larry Jr., Chance and Cannon asked fans to consider donating to the American Heart Association or the Beverly Hills Fire Department EMS in King’s name, due to the “wonderful care they provided” in the final stages of his life.
Larry Jr., 59, is King’s son with ex Annette Kaye. King and seventh wife Shawn Southwick King shared Chance, 21, and Cannon, 20. The former couple filed for divorce in 2019 after more than 20 years of marriage, King’s longest.
Over the summer, King faced back-to-back tragedies when his two other children, son Andy, 65, and daughter, Chaia, 51, died within just weeks of each other.
King’s company, Ora Media, announced his passing in a lengthy Twitter post on Jan. 23. No cause of death was given, but King was reportedly hospitalized with COVID-19 in late 2020.
— Larry King (@kingsthings) January 23, 2021
A source close to the King family told Los Angeles’ ABC7 on Jan. 2 that he “has fought so many health issues in the last few years and he is fighting this one hard too.”
Adding, “He’s a champ.”
Two days later, a spokesperson for King confirmed to the Associated Press that he had been moved out of the ICU and was breathing on his own.
The broadcasting icon had previously survived a heart attack and a stroke, as well as both prostate and lung cancer. Per Page Six, he spent his birthday in November hospitalized with a blood flow issue.
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