Long time talk show host Larry King is mourning the deaths of two of his children, who both passed away within roughly three weeks of each other.
His son Andy King, 65, unexpectedly passed away of a heart attack in late July, while his daughter Chaia King, 52, died earlier this week “only a short time after having been diagnosed with lung cancer,” wrote the 86-year-old on Facebook yesterday.
“Both of them were good and kind souls and they will be greatly missed,” he wrote.
“Losing them feels so out of order. No parent should have to bury a child,” Larry said.
“My family and I thank you for your outpouring of kind sentiments and well wishes. In this moment, we need a little time and privacy to heal. I thank you for respecting that.”
Both children were from Larry’s 1961 marriage to Alene Atkins. The couple divorced and remarried in 1967, before divorcing again in 1971. Larry and Chaia co-authored a children’s book titled Daddy Day, Daughter Day in 1997, recounting their experiences with the divorce.
Atkins passed away peacefully in 2017, King tweeted at the time.
“So very saddened over the passing of Alene Akins, who died peacefully with our children Chaia and Andy by her side. She was a grand lady,” he wrote in February 2017.
Larry declined the media’s request for comment via a spokesman at Ora TV.
The acclaimed TV interviewer hosts Ora TV’s Larry King Now, where he interviews celebrities, world leaders and internet stars.
From 1985 to 2010, Lary hosted CNN’s Larry King Live.
Larry, 86, underwent a heart procedure in 2019 after experiencing chest pain, the media previously reported.
Larry is also a father to four children from previous marriages and is a stepfather to one. He parted ways with his most recent spouse Shawn Southwick in 2019 after 22 years of marriage.
