Marlo Thomas Has No Kids in 42-Year Marriage with Husband — She 'Wept' When Stepdaughter Called Her 'Parent'

Actress Marlo Thomas was against marriage and was ready to spend her life alone until she met Phil Donahue. The pair fell in love, and Thomas became a stepmother to his five kids. Today, her passion for kids sees her support charitable causes that help low-income families access treatment for their sick kids.

When actress Marlo Thomas agreed to appear as a guest on "The Phil Donahue Show" in 1977, she did not realize she was stepping into the beginning of the rest of her life. As soon as her eyes set on the show's host and media personality Phil Donohue, she was smitten and remains that way for decades.

Looking back, Thomas recognizes the peculiarity of the whole situation, noting that she had been on many a talk show and had never fallen in love with the hosts until she met Donahue.

Donahue's first impression of Thomas was how easily she could keep the conversation afloat. The instantaneous connection was undeniable, and the two did not waste time. Thomas says:

"We went out the very next night and were together from then on."

The pair walked down the aisle in May 1980 and settled well into married life. The lovebirds, who have been together since, shared their secret to marital bliss, saying:

"In a marriage, you gotta know that person has your back. This is the safest place I can be. He is going to be my everything — my cushion of life."

In addition to a loving husband, Thomas' marriage gained her a bonus family. She became a stepmom to Donahue's five children from his first marriage to Margaret Cooney.

Thomas Went from Not Wanting Marriage to Becoming a Stepmother to Five

Thomas disclosed that when she met Donahue, she had not been married before and had no plans to get married. And when she did finally settle down with him, she became a stepmother to his children.

Donahue had custody of his four sons, while his ex-wife had custody of their daughter. And so when Donohue and Thomas wed, she had to move in with four teenagers.

Growing up, Thomas says her mom was friends with her and her siblings, in addition to being all the other things a mom is supposed to be.

She always knew she had someone she could talk to, joke with, and argue with, and nothing could ever harm that relationship. So from the onset, she decided that was the kind of relationship she wanted with her stepchildren. She says:

"From the very first day, I decided that I was not going to try to be a "mother" to Phil's children in the traditional sense — they already had a mom — but, instead, to be their friend."

More than four decades later, Thomas says the friendships she established with her stepsons have remained just as strong as they were so many years before.

Stepmotherhood Was Hard at First, but It Had Its Rewarding Moments

Even though the "Two Against Time" actress embraced her stepmother role wholeheartedly, she says it was not easy initially. "It was just a disaster," she says. She recalls everything being a mess and can't deny how easily things got broken in her home.

She could not even find a towel to dry herself with, so she set out to color-code the towels and make the white ones strictly hers. She says had no place to go with the kids all milling around the house.

The family and living rooms were open, and the stepsons made good use of them, so she had to make the dining room her safe place because nobody ever went there. She had known only orderly life before marrying Donahue, and the chaos was too much for her, at least at the beginning.

It wasn't, however, all bad as the actress had her rewarding moments. She recalls this one time when her stepdaughter returned from a year in Paris during which she had received numerous bundles from her parents and Thomas, and when they asked if she'd received them, she replied:

"Oh yes, it was wonderful to know that all three of my parents loved me."

Her stepdaughter acknowledging her as a parent pulled at Thomas' heartstrings and she recalls getting emotional about it. "Of course, I wept," she confessed.

Thomas Has a Passion for Sick Kids and Helps Charitable Causes

Thomas did not have biological kids in her four decades of marriage to Donahue. However, that did not stop her from being a doting stepmom to her husband's five kids. But that barely describes her dedication toward children.

Thomas is also incredibly passionate about causes involving sick kids. Once her babies were all grown and had left the nest, the actress started dedicating her time to charitable causes, especially those involving children.

Over the years, the actress, the national outreach director for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, has spearheaded some major fundraising events to ensure that children receive treatment, regardless of their family's financial situations.

Speaking to NBC News, she disclosed that the St Jude Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, was leading in genomic research, a cause dedicated to finding the genes that cause tumors.

She says they have a team in place that will use the discoveries to find new drugs and another to use the DNA information to personalize treatment and supply it to patients. The actress is excited at the possibilities the future holds and says:

"So, it's a very exciting time. With the whole moving of the DNA and the genomic system, it's a very exciting time."

"The New Normal" actress also noted that the hospital was nonprofit, and they never turned away patients for being unable to pay: "I think you should know that St.Jude is a nonprofit. No child is ever turned away if a family can pay."

She disclosed that the hospital shared its research and findings with other scientific and medical communities worldwide and that their work impacted children's lives and communities nationally.