Remember '80s Star Sally Jessy Raphael? What She Looked Like Decades After Her Talk Show Ended
Most millennials will recognize those signature red glasses from anywhere. They belong to talk show legend Sally Jessy Raphael, who became the first woman to host a syndicated talk show with "The Sally Jessy Raphael Show" (later shortened to "Sally") premiering in 1983. The show was must-watch TV in the '80s and '90s, thanks to shocking topics like paternity reveals, out-of-control teenagers, and age-gap romances. Over a span of 19 years, "Sally" featured around 10,000 guests before signing off the air in 2002. Raphael received five Daytime Emmy nominations between 1988 and 1992, and took home the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host in 1989. Raphael has certainly paved the way for these daytime TV stars over 40 with incredible style.
Since 2002, Raphael has left her short blond 'do behind and transitioned to long, bright red locks that match her famous glasses. It looks like Raphael has discovered the advantages of having red hair. In this 2024 Instagram post, Raphael encouraged others to vote while posing at her voting location in New York.
In 2025, Raphael celebrated her milestone 90th birthday with a trip to Paris, France with friends. "We went to Paris, my favorite city. And I went to my old haunts. I won't tell you what they are because then they'd be everybody's old haunts," she told People. We love to see that Raphael is just as spunky as ever, even in her 90s.
Sally Jessy Raphael got real about her life after TV
Speaking of spunky, even in her retirement, Sally Jessy Raphael has still been finding ways to keep busy. In 2014, she filmed a web series called "Sally Jessy Rides!" featuring Raphael interviewing celebrities on unique modes of transportation, from a scooter to a mechanical bull. In 2026, she started a show on her YouTube channel called "Sally Jessy Reflects," where the former talk show host reacts to old clips from "Sally" and gives updates on past guests.
When it comes to her personal life post "Sally," Raphael lost her husband and business partner, Karl Soderlund, in 2020. They adopted one child together, and Raphael also had two children with her first husband, Andrew Vladimir. In 2024, Raphael sat down with Sherri Shepherd on the set of her talk show, "Sherri," and spoke about her dating life. "I got a lotta guys online. I got a doctor, I got an astronomer, I got a lawyer," Raphael said. "And one has made the cut" (via Entertainment Weekly).
Aside from her dating antics, Raphael told People that in her 90s, she doesn't stress about the small stuff anymore. "You don't care what you wear. You can wear anything. You don't care what you say. You can say anything," she shared. "Not caring about people and what they think is the best thing for getting older." Raphael joins this esteemed group of legendary ladies of Hollywood in their 90s who are still thriving.