Jimmy Fallon’s mother Gloria passed away on Nov. 4, at age 68, in New York City. “The Tonight Show” host returned for the first time after her death to NBC Studio 6-B at Rockefeller Plaza to get back to work making us laugh — but only after giving his mom a proper, heartfelt goodbye first:
In a tearful tribute, the talk show host explained how he said goodbye to his mom. “She was the one I was always trying to make laugh, and she was such a fan of the show and everything I did,” Fallon said.
His voice shaking, holding back tears, Fallon shared one particularly heartfelt moment that happened in the hospital last week:
“When we were little, my mom would walk us to the store, me and my sister, and we would hold hands. She would squeeze my hand three times to say ‘I love you.’ And I would squeeze back, ‘I love you too.’ And last week, I was in the hospital, and I grabbed her hand. I squeezed, ‘I love you.’”
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The touching moment likely hits close to home for those who’ve lost a family member, especially a parent. But, as Fallon noted, the show must go on — with Gloria always in mind, of course.
“We’re going to continue to work really hard to bring some light and some laughter into the world,” Fallon said. “Thank you for watching. Thank you for helping me and my family recover from this loss. Mom, I’ll never stop trying to make you laugh. I love you.” ❤️
