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Being born into a famous family has its ups and downs. Growing up with celebrity parents and being exposed to fame at a young age can be both a blessing and a curse. No one knows this better than Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford's daughter Cassidy.
She captured our hearts at a young age and has since forged her own path, making a name for herself beyond being the daughter of famous parents. However, along the way, she's faced her fair share of hardships. Let’s take a deeper dive into Cassidy Gifford's incredible rise to fame and the many struggles she's overcome to get there.
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A Star is Born
Cassidy Gifford was born on August 2, 1993, in New York City to Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford. The second child in the Gifford family, Cassidy was the couple’s only girl.
Not only was she born in New York City, but she was born into a celebrity family with their fair share of fame and no signs of slowing down anytime soon. No one could have known that Cassidy would soon become a star in her own right.
Broadcasting Dad
Before he was Cassidy’s father, Frank Gifford was already a household name. His career started with football, and he took his skills from his college years at USC to the New York Giants.
Gifford spent 12 seasons with the Giants and retired from paying in 1964, but his love of football didn’t stop there. He went on to succeed as a broadcaster on Monday Night Football for 27 years and took on other broadcasting and acting roles following his leave from the show. Gifford was a name famously known for decades, but Frank wasn’t the only one putting their family name on the map.
TV-Presenting Mom
Kathie Lee Gifford shared a similar role in the spotlight. She started her early career on shows including Name That Tune and Hee Haw, but it was her broadcasting career that made her infamous.
For 15 years, she sat next to Regis Philbin on Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee. When she left the show in 2000, she worked on her singing and acting careers, but returned to her broadcasting roots in 2008 on the morning talk show Today with Kathie Lee and Hoda. Though many people find it difficult to be a parent at the same time as pursuing their careers, this wasn’t the case for the Giffords.
Loving Relationship
Raising their children right was of the utmost importance to Kathie Lee and Frank Gifford. The Giffords always gave their kids the freedom to make their own choices. No matter what the Gifford parents had going on during the day, they always made time for their kids.
“I always thought it was great that we sat at dinner and talked about our day. We were a family,” Cassidy told Yahoo!Life. Even though the kids maintained some semblance of a normal life, it wasn't long before their parents' fame took its toll.
Keeping Busy
Even when Kathie Lee was busy with filming and hosting, she always brought her children with her to work. “I was so grateful that I could make my living and take my children with me wherever I went… My kids were little, and they came with me when they were five weeks old and I never had to leave them at home like so many have to,” Kathie Lee told WKRN News 2.
When Kathie Lee was offered the role of “godmother” of the Carnival cruise ships in 1987, she got to bring her children Cody and Cassidy with her. However, no one could have known the Gifford children were about to get their big break.
The Cruise Ships
The cruise ships became the setting of the Gifford family vacations, which was extremely special for Kathie Lee. It meant she got to work and still be with her children. Before long, Cody and Cassidy got a taste of fame.
"[Cody and Cassidy] ultimately wound up in many of the commercials. But when they were going down the waterslides, they weren’t acting! That was the epitome of fun for us!” Kathie Lee told Yahoo!Life. But this was just the start for Cassidy Gifford.
From the Beginning
Though Frank and Kathie Lee instilled in Cassidy and her brother that they lived as normal of a life as possible, the kids couldn’t help but notice, even subconsciously, that they had been blessed with more opportunities than others.
From a young age, Cassidy began to show interest in the same things her mother did. “I remember the first time she showed me how to walk the runway. I remember we practiced…I was in my little dress and I was so excited to have makeup on and I was probably about five,” Cassidy told People. However, while Cassidy was busy enjoying her first steps in the entertainment industry, things were starting to crumble for the Gifford family.
Trouble Brewing
Cassidy lived her young life running around with her parents, going to events with the stars, and attending her parents’ places of work. Things looked great from the outside, and Cassidy was showing her potential to be a star in her own right. Her future was looking bright.
But while Cassidy was busy being a young child, she had no idea that her parents' marriage was on the edge of disaster. Her perfect world was moments from falling apart.
Gifford Scandal
In 1997, a woman by the name of Suzen Johnson came into the Giffords’ life. She was a former flight attendant and had become friends with Frank Gifford. However, when The Globe paid her to entice Frank to join her in her Manhattan hotel room, their relationship soon changed from friends to something more.
Neither Frank nor Suzen knew that the hotel room had been bugged with recording devices and a camera, which caught the whole event on film. What was a clear example of disloyalty was about to become a whole lot worse.
The Allegations
When the original story broke, claiming that Frank Gifford was seen with another woman, the Giffords didn't trust the tabloids. After all, they knew all too well that tabloids were known to make their money off of horrible rumors.
Kathie Lee came out with a statement, dismissing the story and complaining that the entertainment industry had become a "cash-for-trash society". “The Globe might next report that she and Regis Philbin were having an alien baby,” Kathie Lee said according to The Washington Post. She couldn't believe her husband was cheating—that was, until the photos were leaked.
Changing Their Tune
The Giffords' statements disparaging The Globe were enough to make the tabloid newspaper take action. “Initially we had no intention of using that video. Our hands were forced…We had to prove we were telling the truth," editor Tony Frost told The Washington Post.
Screenshots from the video taken in the hotel room were released, and the Giffords were forced to change their statements. In order to save their children and family from any unnecessary ridicule or attention, the couple asked for privacy and respect for all of them. Now, it was up to one person to decide how to deal with this scandal.
Kathie Lee's Response
Kathie Lee was suddenly faced with dealing with a painful event in her marriage and family. She attended therapy to help process it. Frank broke her trust beyond compare. “[Frank] wasn’t my hero anymore,” she wrote in her book It’s Never Too Late.
At this point, she had been married to Frank for over a decade and she shared two children with him. “It takes a lifetime to build that kind of friendship and history together and trust. And it takes one stupid decision to destroy it,” Kathie Lee told her former co-host Hoda Kotb on Today. But how did the betrayal affect the Gifford children?
Keeping the Secret
Somehow, Cassidy was able to go through her young life without knowing anything about the scandal that threatened to tear her parents apart. In fact, Kathie Lee miraculously kept their problems a secret from their kids. They never knew their parents were having trouble.
“I’m so grateful that my children were young and didn’t know. By the time they did know, they realized how much their parents loved each other and loved them by sticking it out and they never knew it,” Kathie Lee told Hoda Kobt on Today.
For the Kids
Even though Kathie Lee’s husband was a cheater, Cassidy and Cody’s father was a different man. "He said words that are now emblazoned on my heart: 'Kathie, if you can’t forgive your husband, forgive your children’s father,'” Kathie Lee shared with Today.
Putting this into perspective changed everything for Kathie Lee. “We stayed together, we saved our marriage, we saved — by God's grace — our children. I knew my children would be very, very different people if we had broken up at that time,” she continued. While Kathie Lee went through every phase of processing this event, her kids had a very different approach.
Life Goes On
Though her parents were going through marriage difficulties, Cassidy Gifford was able to pursue her dreams and carry on with her life. Watching her parents’ careers inspired her to be on screen, but she chose a different path from their broadcasting careers.
Instead, the young Cassidy was interested in pursuing acting. Like so many other children who are interested in acting, Cassidy took to Disney Channel, and at 11, she appeared on That’s So Raven. But acting wasn’t her only interest.
Another Career
While she enjoyed acting, Cassidy took time to be a normal kid, without the pressures that come with being a full-time actor. She appeared in a few different roles in television shows and movies while she was still a child, but her interests began expanding.
Just as she had practiced with her mother when she was much younger, Cassidy started exploring modeling. Though her height of 5’3” wasn’t typical of other models—who often towered above 5’8”—Cassidy didn’t let this stop her.
New York Fashion Week
In fact, Cassidy’s practice and tenacity proved successful for her. In September of 2011, Cassidy Gifford took to the runway to show off the looks of the year at Sheri Hill’s New York fashion show.
With her mom and her mom’s co-host at the time, Hoda Kotb, in attendance, Cassidy walked down the runway, alongside experienced models. Her natural skill was obvious. However, the best part was that she got to walk in the same show as her god sister.
Famous God Sisters
At the end of the fashion show, Cassidy Gifford and Kendall Jenner walked out with Sherri Hill herself to wave goodbye to the crowds. That’s right—as it turns out, Cassidy Gifford is not the only young successful star in the family.
While they aren’t related by blood, Kendall and Kylie Jenner are god sisters to Cassidy Gifford. Apparently, Kathie Lee and Kris Jenner met when they both moved to L.A. for the first time and became godmothers to each other’s children. Much like the Jenner daughters, Cassidy was focused on becoming successful all on her own—and she was about to do just that.
Forging Her Own Path
Over the next few years following her model debut, Cassidy returned to her acting career. In 2014, she was cast in God’s Not Dead, which gave her career the push it needed. While her name might’ve helped Cassidy initially receive callbacks or recognition, she wanted to make it clear that she was a separate entity from her family.
"It's important for me to have my career completely compartmentalized and separated from my mom's,” Cassidy told Entertainment Tonight. Every new role proved that Cassidy was forging her own path, and when she landed a part in the film Angels and Outlaws, she was ecstatic. Little did she know that tragedy was around the corner.
Tragedy Strikes
While she sat obliviously on a flight to Santa Fe, New Mexico, Cassidy had no idea what was happening back home. Kathie Lee and Cody found Frank on the floor of their home, unresponsive.
Sadly, Frank Gifford passed away on the morning of August 9th, 2015. The family felt the utmost sadness at losing their loved one, but the hardest part for Kathie Lee was not being able to tell Cassidy while she was flying. When she heard the news on her layover, Cassidy turned right around to come and be with her family.
Losing a Father
Frank Gifford was already in his 60s when Cassidy was born, but this never stopped him from being involved in her life. Cassidy was only 22 years old when she lost her father, at the age of 84.
She shared on Instagram with the world a loving tribute the day after her father’s passing: "Yesterday, I lost my best friend. His kindness was infectious, and his grace, beyond compare. And despite the worldly passing of an incredible man, I undoubtedly know heaven gained one stud of an angel." His sudden passing shocked the family, but soon, they would find out what happened to Frank.
Head Trauma
Though Frank’s football career had given him the life of his dreams, it also affected him mentally. It was later revealed that Frank had suffered unknowingly from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a condition many football players suffer from due to multiple head traumas and concussions.
After discovering this medical diagnosis, the family hoped it would inspire others to learn more about the impacts head trauma could have. With her father gone, Cassidy was about to make a big career decision.
Movie Star
Since the passing of her father came right when she was supposed to film a new movie, Cassidy took some much-needed time off to grieve. She knew that acting would always be there when she was ready to return, and in 2016, she decided she was ready.
Quickly her career picked up, and she filmed two movies in 2016. And 2017 was even more successful, as she filmed two movies and one film for television called Like Cats & Dogs. In 2019, she was cast in the television show The Baxters, which she acted in until 2021. However, it wasn't just Cassidy's career that was taking off—her personal life was also thriving.
Finding Love
Cassidy met Ben Wierda on a family vacation when she was just 10. The families had been traveling to the same place and as soon as they met, they became instant friends. Ben Wierda and his sister were great friends with Cassidy and Cody—Ben was even the best man at Cody Gifford’s wedding.
In 2015, following Cassidy’s father’s passing, the two struck up a romance. Soon, they started dating and quickly found themselves in a relationship that was easy—the kind that happens when you’ve known someone for so long.
White Wedding
After a quick relationship of seven months, Ben Wierda popped the question to Cassidy in the fall of 2019. They had planned to get married soon, but the pandemic changed things. Instead, they decided to spontaneously get married in an intimate, backyard ceremony.
In 2021, they finally had a proper ceremony for all of their friends and family in Nashville, Tennessee. It was a beautiful ceremony, full of happy memories, many tributes to Frank Gifford, and a tear-jerking father-daughter dance with Cassidy and Ben’s father, Craig. Finally, they were able to share their love with everyone close to them—and Cassidy’s good news wouldn’t stop there.
Carnival Cruise
Cassidy spent much of her childhood on the Carnival cruises, while her mother was busy filming ad campaigns for them as the “Godmother” of the ships. It was a huge part of the Giffords’ lives, and though it had been some years since Kathie Lee or Cassidy had been on the cruise ships, they were ready to welcome the Giffords back aboard.
In 2022, Kathie Lee herself surprised his daughter with the announcement that Carnival Cruises was ready to pass the torch of becoming “Godmother” of a brand new Carnival Celebration cruise ship onto Cassidy, and she couldn’t be happier. Soon, being a godmother wouldn’t be Cassidy’s only title.
Baby Boy
In June of 2023, Cassidy and her husband welcomed a third member of their family, a beautiful baby boy named Finn Thomas Wierda. This child was a blessing for the couple.
Finn Thomas Wierda arrived just one year after his cousin, another baby boy, born to Cody Gifford, and named Frankie, after the siblings’ late father. Cassidy made Kathie Lee a grandmother for the second time, and “Bubbe” as she likes to go by, is overjoyed at her new role.
New Role
Though Cassidy Gifford hasn’t starred in any show or movie since The Baxters ended in 2021, we hope she graces our screens again. However, she’s in no rush—after all, she has a brand new baby and husband demanding her attention at the moment.
With modeling and acting experience under her belt, we know she has an exciting future again. We'll be sure to follow along as she continues to impress with her kindness, positivity, and talent.
Looking to the Future
Cassidy Gifford grew up in a famous family. However, Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford weren’t just any celebrity parents—they were in the midst of a Hollywood scandal.
Despite facing many hardships along the way, Cassidy was able to forge her own path in the entertainment industry. We wish her nothing but the best in her biggest role yet—a new mom—and only the brightest future ahead. We can't wait to see what's next for the young star.
