Kathie Lee Gifford apologizes for Martin Short gaffe

Let this be a lesson, kids — even if you intend to host a frivolous morning TV chatfest: Do your homework before you interview someone. During a conversation with Martin Short this morning, Kathie Lee Gifford asked about his children, then made this unfortunate segue: "You and Nancy have one of the greatest marriages in show business .?.?. but you're still in love! How?!"  His wife, Nancy Dolman, died two years ago of cancer. Short barely flinched — at least according to a number of videos posted online — and the interview continued as though nothing happened. But KLG returned from a commercial break to offer up an apology — see below — then tweeted this:  

 Kathie Lee Gifford ?@KathieLGifford I send my sincerest apologies to @MartinShort and his family. He handled situation w/enormous grace and kindness and I'm so grateful.

 TMZ — of course! Who else? — picked this up almost immediately and then it was pretty much everywhere.