Katie Couric marked her 12th wedding anniversary with John Molner by sharing a warm and playful tribute to the man who has stood beside her through more than a decade of marriage.
The anniversary coincided with Father’s Day on June 21, giving the 69-year-old journalist two reasons to celebrate her 63-year-old husband.
Couric posted an Instagram compilation featuring photographs of the couple from throughout their relationship, along with several individual pictures of Molner. The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows” accompanied the collection.
“Happy anniversary—the big 1-2—and Father’s Day too!” she wrote. “Can’t wait to add more memories to our collection. And yes, God only knows what I’d be without you.”
Molner responded with his own affectionate message in the comments, joking about Couric’s decision to include photographs of Margot Robbie and Richard Marx in the anniversary video.
“Happy anniversary Couric! 12 years… in a blink. I am a lucky, lucky guy,” he wrote.
A chance introduction led to lasting love
Couric met Molner in 2012 after asking her friend Molly whether her husband, a trauma surgeon, knew any single doctors.
There were no available doctors, but Molly suggested a banker instead and passed Couric’s telephone number to Molner. He eventually called and invited her on a date.
“What can I say, he had me at hello,” Couric later told PEOPLE.
Molner proposed during a beach getaway over Labor Day weekend in 2013. The couple married the following June in a small backyard ceremony at Couric’s East Hampton, New York, home.
Couric described the wedding as intimate and special, recalling the beautiful garden, perfect weather and dahlias decorating the setting. Both of their children participated in the celebration.
The marriage began more than 15 years after Couric lost her first husband, Jay Monahan, to colon cancer in 1998.
Couric and Molner now share a blended family of four adult children. Molner has a daughter, Allie, and a son, Henry, from a previous relationship. Couric shares daughters Ellie and Carrie with Monahan.
Who is John Molner?
Molner built his professional career in banking before joining Couric in a media venture.
In 2018, the couple co-founded Katie Couric Media. Molner serves as the company’s CEO, while Couric oversees its creative and editorial work.
Their relationship has blended family life, travel and professional collaboration. Their anniversary messages have also repeatedly reflected the humor between them, with both using affectionate jokes while looking back at their years together.
For their 11th anniversary, Couric called Molner her “favorite guy,” “port in the storm,” “safe space” and “rock.” One year later, her latest tribute expressed the same gratitude as they celebrated another milestone.
Molner steps in during a frightening episode
Their anniversary came shortly before a serious health scare placed Molner in the position of explaining several hours Couric cannot remember.
On June 27, the couple attended the Aspen Ideas Festival before going to the Aspen Institute, where Couric was scheduled to appear on two panels. Her final clear memory was eating lunch at a hot dog stand.
After the appearances, Molner and one of Couric’s interns noticed that she was “out of it” and took her to Aspen Valley Hospital.
Couric could not correctly identify the month, year or president. Molner recalled that a doctor instructed the medical team to initiate stroke protocol.
“She reintroduced herself to the nurses every time they came into the room,” Molner said, describing the behavior he witnessed while his wife was unable to form new memories.
An MRI found no evidence of a stroke, and Couric was eventually diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a temporary condition that affects the ability to create new memories.
Couric later called the experience “freaky” but expressed relief that it had not been something more serious. Although she recovered, several hours from that day remain permanently absent from her memory.
Molner’s account filled in part of that gap, documenting a frightening chapter that arrived only days after the couple celebrated 12 years of marriage.
From their unexpected introduction and intimate wedding to building a family and company together, Couric and Molner’s latest anniversary honored a partnership that has endured both joyful milestones and deeply unsettling moments.
