Phyllis Minkoff is best known to the public as the first wife of American broadcaster Maury Povich, though her own life stretches far beyond that one connection. Born in Washington, D.C., in 1941, she built a long career in communications and public relations while raising four daughters across two marriages. Many people search her name simply to understand her link to the famous talk show host, but her story includes a career of its own, a political streak, and decades of family life that unfolded largely away from the cameras. This article brings together everything currently known about her background, her marriages, her children, and what she has been doing since her divorce from Povich, all in one clear and factual guide.
Bio Table
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Phyllis Minkoff |
| Date of Birth | 15 February 1941 |
| Place of Birth | Washington, D.C., United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Public relations and communications specialist |
| Known For | First wife of TV host Maury Povich |
| First Marriage | Maury Povich (1962 to 1979) |
| Second Marriage | Phillip Baskin (1980 to 2005, his death) |
| Children | Susan Anne Povich, Amy Joyce Povich, Shoshana Nudel, Janice Gondelman |
| Parents | Hyman Joseph Minkoff (father), Ida Minkoff (mother) |
| Sibling | Larry Minkoff |
| Estimated Net Worth | Approximately $1 million |
| Political Involvement | Supported Hillary Clinton (2016); linked to Bernie Sanders and Joe Kennedy III |
| Charitable Work | Nonprofits, animal shelters, Planned Parenthood projects |
| Current Age | 85 years old (as of 2026) |
Who Is Phyllis Minkoff?
Phyllis Minkoff is an American communications and public relations professional, widely recognised as the first wife of veteran television host Maury Povich. She was married to Povich from 1962 to 1979, a period during which the couple welcomed two daughters. After their divorce, she remarried and had two more children, while also pursuing her own career and getting involved in political causes.
Unlike many people connected to celebrities, Minkoff has largely kept her personal and professional life private. She has never sought the spotlight, choosing instead to build a quiet, purposeful life centred on her family, her work, and the causes she believes in.
Quick Facts About Phyllis Minkoff
- Full name: Phyllis Minkoff
- Date of birth: 15 February 1941
- Place of birth: Washington, D.C., United States
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: Communications and public relations specialist
- Known for: First wife of TV host Maury Povich
- Marriages: Maury Povich (1962 to 1979); Phillip Baskin (1980 to his death in 2005)
- Children: Four daughters, Susan Anne, Amy Joyce, Shoshana, and Janice
Early Life and Family Background
Phyllis Minkoff was born on 15 February 1941 in Washington, D.C. Her father, Hyman Joseph Minkoff, was a local businessman who opened a liquor store called Acme Liquors in 1940, a year before Phyllis was born. He later moved into the real estate business after stepping away from retail. Her mother, Ida Minkoff, raised the family in the capital alongside Phyllis’s only sibling, her brother Larry Minkoff.
Details about Phyllis’s schooling and early education have never been widely publicised, which is consistent with the generally private approach she has taken to her personal life. What is clear is that her upbringing in Washington, D.C. placed her close to the world of politics and media from an early age, a proximity that would later shape both her career and her interests.
Marriage to Maury Povich
When Did Phyllis Minkoff Marry Maury Povich?
Phyllis Minkoff married Maury Povich in 1962. At the time, Povich was still building his career in television and journalism, years before he became a household name through his talk show Maury, which launched in 1991. The couple met and married while Povich worked in the Washington, D.C. media scene, the same city where Phyllis had grown up.
During their marriage, Phyllis adopted the surname Povich and the couple welcomed two daughters:
- Susan Anne Povich, who went on to become a lawyer and later a restaurateur.
- Amy Joyce Povich, who became an actress.
The marriage lasted seventeen years. Povich’s career was steadily rising throughout this period, as he worked in local news before eventually anchoring the tabloid current affairs programme A Current Affair in the 1980s.
Why Did Phyllis Minkoff and Maury Povich Divorce?
Phyllis Minkoff and Maury Povich divorced in 1979 after seventeen years of marriage. Neither party has ever given a detailed public account of exactly why the marriage ended. Some outlets have speculated about an extramarital relationship on Phyllis’s side, pointing to her relatively quick remarriage the following year, but there has never been any confirmed statement from either Phyllis or Maury supporting this theory. The separation itself was handled quietly, without the public disputes that often accompany celebrity divorces.
What is well documented is that both former spouses moved forward amicably enough to maintain a working relationship for the sake of their daughters. Neither has spoken negatively about the other in public in the decades since.
Life After the Divorce
Second Marriage to Phillip Baskin
In 1980, a year after her divorce from Povich, Phyllis Minkoff married Phillip Baskin, an attorney and a Pittsburgh councilman. This marriage lasted until Baskin’s death in 2005. He had been diagnosed with a form of dementia related to Alzheimer’s disease roughly eleven years before he died, and passed away at the age of 83.
Phyllis and Phillip had two daughters together:
- Shoshana Nudel
- Janice Gondelman
This means Phyllis Minkoff is the mother of four daughters in total, two from her marriage to Maury Povich and two from her marriage to Phillip Baskin. She has not remarried since Baskin’s death.
Meanwhile, What Happened to Maury Povich?
After his divorce from Phyllis, Maury Povich went on to marry journalist and news anchor Connie Chung in 1984. The pair met while working together at a Washington, D.C. television station in 1968, well before either of their respective marriages ended. Povich and Chung adopted a son, Matthew Jay Povich, in 1995, and the couple remain married today. Povich, now retired from his long-running talk show, has an estimated net worth in the region of tens of millions of dollars, built primarily through his decades-long broadcasting career.
Phyllis Minkoff’s Career in Public Relations
Phyllis Minkoff built a career of her own in communications and public relations, an industry that suited her background growing up in Washington, D.C. She has not publicly disclosed whether she worked independently as a consultant or as part of a larger firm, but her professional reputation in the field is consistently referenced across profiles of her life.
Her career has run parallel to her family life for decades, and she has been financially independent of her connection to Maury Povich, something several profiles of her life are quick to point out. While her net worth of around one million US dollars is modest next to Povich’s considerably larger fortune, it reflects a career built on her own professional merit rather than any settlement or spousal support narrative.
Political and Charitable Involvement
Beyond her professional life, Phyllis Minkoff has been notably active in political and charitable causes throughout her adult life.
Political Activities
- She supported Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2016 as a member of the Women’s Liberation Front.
- She has also been linked to other prominent Democratic figures, including Senator Bernie Sanders and Joe Kennedy III.
- Her involvement suggests a long-standing interest in women’s rights and progressive political causes.
Charitable Work
Phyllis has supported a number of nonprofit organisations and animal shelters across the United States over the years. She has also taken part in projects connected to Planned Parenthood. None of this work has been done for publicity; rather, it reflects a consistent pattern of quiet, values-driven engagement rather than headline-seeking activism.
Phyllis Minkoff’s Children Today
Phyllis Minkoff’s four daughters have each built distinct lives and careers, and their achievements form an important part of understanding her legacy as a mother.
| Daughter | Father | Career |
|---|---|---|
| Susan Anne Povich | Maury Povich | Lawyer and restaurateur; owns Red Hook Lobster Pound in New York; married to motorcycle designer Ralph Gorham |
| Amy Joyce Povich | Maury Povich | Actress; married to physician and author David Agus |
| Shoshana Nudel | Phillip Baskin | Private career |
| Janice Gondelman | Phillip Baskin | Private career |
Susan Anne’s career as a restaurateur, running the well-regarded Red Hook Lobster Pound in New York, is one of the more publicly documented achievements among Phyllis’s children. Amy’s marriage to Dr David Agus, a well-known physician and author, has also drawn public interest, given his own media profile.
How Old Is Phyllis Minkoff Now?
Phyllis Minkoff was born on 15 February 1941, which makes her 85 years old as of 2026. She has largely stepped back from any form of public life, and there is little recent information about her day-to-day activities, consistent with the privacy she has maintained throughout her adult life.
Phyllis Minkoff’s Net Worth
Phyllis Minkoff’s net worth is estimated at approximately one million US dollars, built through her career in communications and public relations. This figure is considerably smaller than the tens of millions attributed to her former husband, Maury Povich, though comparisons of this kind rarely tell the full story of a person’s life or achievements. Her financial position reflects decades of independent professional work rather than any connection to celebrity wealth.
Why People Continue to Search for Phyllis Minkoff
Interest in Phyllis Minkoff largely stems from her connection to Maury Povich, one of American television’s most recognisable talk show hosts. Fans of Maury and followers of Povich’s career are often curious about his personal history, including his first marriage and the family it produced. However, what many discover when they look deeper is a woman who built a stable, independent life away from fame, raised four accomplished daughters, and remained committed to causes she believed in.
Conclusion
Phyllis Minkoff’s story is far richer than a simple footnote in Maury Povich’s biography. Born in Washington, D.C. in 1941, she went on to marry Povich in 1962, raise two daughters with him, and then rebuild her life after their 1979 divorce through a second marriage to attorney Phillip Baskin, with whom she had two more daughters. Alongside her family life, she carved out a genuine career in public relations and communications, and remained politically and charitably active for decades. At 85 years old, she continues to be remembered not simply as a celebrity’s ex-wife, but as a woman who valued privacy, purpose, and family above public attention.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Phyllis Minkoff?
Phyllis Minkoff is an American public relations and communications specialist best known as the first wife of television host Maury Povich. She was married to him from 1962 to 1979 and later built her own career and family life away from public attention.
How many children does Phyllis Minkoff have?
Phyllis Minkoff has four daughters in total. Two, Susan Anne and Amy Joyce, are from her marriage to Maury Povich, while two more, Shoshana Nudel and Janice Gondelman, are from her second marriage to Phillip Baskin.
Why did Phyllis Minkoff and Maury Povich divorce?
The exact reason for their 1979 divorce has never been officially confirmed by either party. Some sources speculate about an affair, but there is no verified public statement explaining the split, and both former spouses have kept the details private.
Is Phyllis Minkoff married now?
No, Phyllis Minkoff is not currently married. Her second husband, Phillip Baskin, passed away in 2005 after living with Alzheimer’s-related dementia, and she has not remarried since.
What is Phyllis Minkoff’s net worth?
Phyllis Minkoff’s estimated net worth is around one million US dollars, earned through her long career in public relations and communications, separate from any wealth associated with her former husband, Maury Povich.
