Greg Gutfeld’s Heartfelt Goodbye: A Son’s Tribute to the Woman Who Shaped His Wit and Wisdom

In a world where headlines scream for attention and TV screens flicker with fleeting moments of fame, one man’s quiet, heartfelt tribute to his mother has struck a chord that resonates far beyond the studio lights. Greg Gutfeld, the sharp-tongued, irreverent host of Gutfeld! and co-host of The Five on Fox News, recently poured his heart out in a moving tribute to his late mother, Jacqueline “Jackie” Gutfeld, whose influence not only shaped his career but also left an indelible mark on his audience. Known for her wit, candor, and unfiltered charm in the iconic “Ask Greg’s Mom” column in Stuff magazine, Jackie Gutfeld was more than just a mother—she was a cultural force, a muse, and a guiding light for a man who has become one of television’s most polarizing and beloved figures.

If you remember flipping through the pages of Stuff magazine in the early 2000s, chances are you stumbled across “Ask Greg’s Mom,” a column that stood out amid the glossy spreads of celebrities and scantily clad models. It was a slice of pure, unfiltered humanity—Jackie’s voice, transcribed from her meandering, often hilarious phone messages left on her son’s answering machine. “The girls in this magazine wear too little clothes,” she’d gripe, or “Why are they always bending over?” Her candid commentary wasn’t just a critique of the magazine’s aesthetic—it was a window into a woman who saw the world with “weary eyes,” as Greg once described, shaped by a life of resilience and humor in the face of hardship. The column, which later evolved into an advice feature, became the magazine’s most popular section, drawing heaps of fan mail and sparking a question that followed Greg wherever he went: “Is that really your mother?” Yes, it was. And she was every bit as real, raw, and remarkable as her words suggested.

Jackie Gutfeld, born Jacqueline Bernice Cauhape, wasn’t just a supporting character in her son’s story—she was a co-star. Raised in San Mateo, California, she faced challenges that would have broken a lesser spirit. As a single mother raising four children—three daughters and Greg—while her husband battled cancer, Jackie carried the weight of her family’s struggles with grace and grit. “She had her hands full,” Greg wrote in a poignant 2014 tribute, “and she tried to keep the worst part of the experience from all of us.” When her husband, Alfred Jack Gutfeld, passed away, Jackie lost not only her partner but also the dream of a quiet, hand-in-hand retirement that her friends enjoyed. Instead, she had her kids—and a determination to give them a life filled with love, laughter, and a touch of mischief.

That mischief found its way into Greg’s worldview, thanks to Jackie’s unconventional approach to parenting. When Greg was home sick from school, most moms might have brought home a comic book or a bowl of soup. Jackie? She brought Mad Magazine. “It was not a comic book; it was a way of looking at the world,” Greg recalled. That revolutionary publication, with its irreverent humor and satirical lens, opened young Greg’s eyes to a world where adults could be laughed at—a perspective that would define his career as a political satirist and comedian. As he grew older, Jackie introduced him to National Lampoon, blissfully unaware (or perhaps unbothered) by its risqué content. “She just sensed it might be something I would like,” Greg wrote, “and I did.” Those magazines, stacked in closets and dog-eared from countless re-reads, were more than reading material—they were the seeds of a career built on subversive humor and fearless commentary.

Jackie’s influence didn’t stop at magazine subscriptions. As Greg’s career took him from an intern at The American Spectator to editor-in-chief roles at Men’s Health and Stuff, Jackie remained a constant presence, her wisdom woven into his work. At Men’s Health, her practical advice—like cleaning a kitchen from the top down because “dirt obeys gravity”—found its way into his columns. But it was at Stuff where Jackie truly shined. As editor, Greg gave her the “Ask Greg’s Mom” column, a decision that turned her into an unlikely star. Readers couldn’t get enough of her no-nonsense advice, especially when it came to matters of the heart. When men wrote in about commitment issues, Jackie’s response was swift and unapologetic: “Grow up.” She dismissed their woes as trivial compared to the struggles of her generation, a perspective shaped by years of raising a family under the shadow of loss.

The column’s popularity wasn’t just a testament to Jackie’s wit—it was a reflection of her authenticity. In an era of airbrushed perfection, her voice was a breath of fresh air, cutting through the noise with humor and honesty. Fans stopped Greg on the street, not to ask about the latest cover model, but to confirm if the woman behind the column was real. “Yes, it was,” he’d reply, a mix of pride and amusement in his voice. That authenticity carried over when Greg transitioned to television, first as host of Red Eye and later The Five and Gutfeld!. Jackie became a “senior correspondent” on Red Eye, delivering commentary via phone calls that were as unpredictable as they were hilarious. “She was responsible for some of the most real moments of truth and humor on that program,” Greg wrote, though he admitted she was often nervous about appearing on air.

Jackie’s influence on Greg’s career went beyond her on-screen or on-page contributions. She was his first and most important audience. “I did Red Eye, and The Five, and other stuff—with her watching me, in mind,” he shared in a 2014 tribute on his website. Her passing in 2014 left a void that Greg described as “hopelessly sad,” a sentiment echoed in a touching segment on The Five. “When I would leave home from visiting my mom, she would ask me to call her the moment I landed,” he said, his voice heavy with emotion. “Last night, I landed here in New York and the reflex to whip out the phone and make that call was frozen by realization that no one would pick up on the other end, ever.” Yet, in a moment of hope, he added, “Maybe I don’t have to call her anymore because she’s here with me.” Kimberly Guilfoyle, his co-host, called Jackie “a wonderful and spirited woman who did a great job raising her son.”

The irony of Jackie’s passing wasn’t lost on Greg. On the day she died, she received a driver’s renewal notice from the DMV—a detail she would have found “hysterical,” he noted. It was the kind of absurd, human moment that Jackie would have spun into a story, her laughter echoing through the room. Her legacy lives on in Greg’s work, from the biting satire of Gutfeld! to the lively debates on The Five. He dedicated his first book to her, and his latest, a nod to the woman who pushed him to read, write, and never take the world too seriously. “None of my work would have been possible without my mother’s love and support,” he wrote.

Jackie Gutfeld was more than Greg’s mom—she was his inspiration, his collaborator, and his biggest fan. Through “Ask Greg’s Mom,” she became a voice for a generation, a reminder that wisdom and humor can cut through even the glossiest of facades. As Greg continues to dominate late-night television, topping ratings and stirring controversy with his unapologetic style, one thing is clear: every quip, every laugh, every moment of truth carries a piece of Jackie’s spirit. Somewhere, she’s watching, laughing, and probably telling him to make sure those girls in the magazine put on some more clothes.