The legacy of Katie Couric’s late husband, Jay Monahan, lives on in her family’s newest member.
“I think about him often. I see him in my daughters on a constant basis,” Couric, 68, exclusively told Us Weekly on Thursday, March 6, while promoting the Cologuard Classic by Exact Sciences golf tournament, which helps raise colon cancer awareness. “We named Ellie’s son, Jay, after her dad and my late husband, and that was really meaningful. So, now every time I see Baby Jay, I think of my Jay and Ellie and Carrie’s Jay.”
Couric wed Monahan in 1989, and the two welcomed their daughters, Ellie and Carrie, in 1991 and 1996, respectively. Monahan died at the age of 42 from colon cancer in January 1998. (Couric later married John Molner in 2014.)
Couric revealed that her first grandchild was named after Monahan (whose full name was John Paul Monahan) while announcing his birth in March 2024. “John Albert Dobrosky was born on his due date, Saturday, March 23rd at 8:23 am, just shy of seven pounds,” she captioned Instagram hospital pics of Ellie, and her husband, Mark Dobrosky, holding their newborn. “He will be called Jay in honor of his maternal grandfather.”
Katie Couric is officially a grandmother. The journalist, 67, announced via Instagram that her eldest daughter, Ellie Monahan, gave birth to her first child with husband Mark Dobrosky. “John Albert Dobrosky was born on his due date, Saturday, March 23rd at 8:23 am, just shy of seven pounds,” she captioned a slideshow of photos on […]
Although it’s been nearly three decades since Monahan’s death, Couric told Us he continues to be “a presence in our lives.” She added, “When Ellie gets married or has a baby, or Carrie is going to get her PhD this fall, you know, I always think of how proud he would be of them. So, we think about him a lot.”
Baby Jay’s name was something that came as a surprise to Couric. “I was pulling for Katie. We didn’t know whether she was having a boy or a girl,” the TV personality joked. “I think [Ellie] was thinking of Jay, but it was a surprise. And his name is John Albert — Albert after Mark’s grandfather and Jay after Ellie’s dad. So, it’s a very meaningful and special name. And he’s super cute, obviously.”
While Couric praised her daughter Ellie for being a “spectacular mom,” the former Today anchor told Us she hopes she’s “doing a good job as a grandma,” noting, “They live in Los Angeles, so we rented a house for six weeks so I can spend time with him. So, I’m hoping he can get to know me a little bit better because we’re still in New York. … I thank God for FaceTime because he sees me a lot on FaceTime.”
In addition to spending some quality time with Baby Jay, Couric will honor her husband at the Cologuard Classic by Exact Sciences golf tournament, which takes place in Tucson, Arizona, from Friday, March 7, through Sunday, March 9.
Katie Couric has some seriously “mixed feelings” about taking on the role of grandmother. “I think 99 percent was, ‘I’m so excited.’ And 1 percent was, ‘Holy sh-t, I’m old enough to be a grandmother,’” Couric, 67, exclusively tells Us Weekly while promoting the Cologuard Classic golf tournament, which spreads awareness for colon cancer prevention. […]
“It’s a really, really wonderful event. I love being here in Tucson. I love Exact Sciences, and I love the team we work with. I’m so impressed by them as an organization and their values,” Couric said of attending the colorectal cancer awareness event for the third time. “I’m not a big golfer, but I met with almost 300 colon cancer advocates who are working all across the country to bring attention to the second-leading cancer killer of men and women combined, and to make sure people know that it is a highly [preventable] but least prevented disease, and people just need to get screened.”
March is National Colon Cancer Awareness Month, which Couric says is the perfect time for people to get screened for the disease. “I always tell people, getting screened for colon cancer may not be at the top of their to-do list, and they may feel nervous or anxious. But when you compare it to being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, there’s just no comparison at all,” she said. “And it is a relatively easy process, and it can save you miles of heartache. And so, I always say, ‘Just do it,’ like the Nike commercial says, and get it done, and know that that’s something you can cross off your list and not worry about.”
Couric went on to emphasize that colorectal cancer can be “eradicated completely” if detected early. “It’s one of those things where your fate is in your hands, if you take advantage of screening,” she explained.
With reporting by Mandie DeCamp
