Rush Limbaugh, the ever controversial but undeniably entertaining radio talk show host, has died. Kathryn Adams Limbaugh, his wife of over 10 years, made the announcement live on-air during Limbaugh’s radio show (via Fox News). “It is with profound sadness I must share with you directly that our beloved Rush, my wonderful husband, passed away this morning due to complications from lung cancer,” she told his audience.
Kathryn had recently celebrated her 44th birthday, which made her 26 years younger than her famous husband — and only 12 years older than his talk show (via The Sun). She wasn’t Rush’s first wife. He’d been married three times before, with each of his previous marriages ending in divorce.
While you’d think the age gap might have given Kathryn some doubts about becoming wife number four, she evidently preferred older men. As she once told the Palm Beach Post (via the New York Daily News), “I grew up so differently, traveling around the world, that I’m sometimes not able to relate to the average person my age.” She added, “Rush has such amazing experience.”
The couple had quite a lavish wedding
Rush and Kathryn tied the knot in June of 2010 after dating since 2007 (via Heavy). The wedding took place in Limbaugh’s Palm Beach residence, a not-so-modest beachfront property that the New York Daily News described as a “mansion.” The reception was held at The Breakers, a luxury resort that dates from the late 19th century and has hosted such American nobility as the Astors, Rockefellers, and Vanderbilts as well as Andrew Carnegie and J.P. Morgan. While none of those notables were alive to attend the Limbaugh nuptials, the 400-person guest list did include such prominent conservatives as former Bush adviser Karl Rove, Fox News host Sean Hannity, and former New York City mayor/future Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani (via People).
One thing that took people by surprise about the Limbaughs’ Hawaiian luau-themed bash was the musical entertainment. Headlining the event was none other than Elton John, a man whose lifestyle didn’t really seem to jibe with Limbaugh’s ultra-conservative views. Elton and his fans are hard to pigeonhole, though. Distractify says that he had previously played at Donald and Melania Trump’s wedding, and he had been asked (although chose not to) to appear at Trump’s 2017 inauguration. Elton John was reportedly paid $1 million to perform at Rush and Kathryn Limbaugh’s wedding (via The Guardian).
Kathryn Limbaugh is the descendant of a former president
Kathryn Limbaugh could be considered an American blue blood in her own right. According to People, she is a direct descendant of John Adams, the second President of the United States. Her father, Richard Rogers graduated from the Naval Academy alongside another conservative stalwart, the late Senator John McCain.
Rogers was a naval captain and then a businessman with global interests, so little Kathryn had a rather glamorous, well-traveled upbringing. Her family made their home(s) in such far-flung places as Guinea-Bissau, London, Rio de Janeiro, the Philippines, and Hawaii (via Heavy).
Kathryn’s father died in 2018, but her mother, Penny, is still alive (via Honolulu Star Adviser) While Kathryn herself grew up in a fairly large family, alongside her brothers Richard Rogers Jr. and Jonathan Rogers and her sister, Wendy Hazel (via Fox News), she and Rush never had children of their own.
She's been successful in several fields
At the time Rush and Kathryn met, she was working as an event planner (via Heavy). Her work, in fact, was what led to their meeting. In 2004, she was organizing a charity golf tournament, he was a celebrity participant, and they evidently hit it off. They did not begin dating until several years later, though, after Limbaugh’s third marriage had come to an end. Yet another event Kathryn was involved with, the 2007 Super Bowl in Miami, led to the two attending a fundraiser together. It was at this time that their relationship became public knowledge.
Several years after the Limbaughs wed, Kathryn suggested that Rush write a children’s book to “teach American history in a fun and engaging way.” Per Heavy, Rush was all-in on the idea, but got his bride to collaborate on the creation. According to the Adventures of Rush Revere website, Kathryn’s name is listed as co-author on the covers of books three through five of what became a five-book series.
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