Advertisement

Gov. Andrew Cuomo Gives Sweet Shout-Out to His Daughters During Final Daily Coronavirus Briefing

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo shared some kind words about his three daughters on Friday, during his final daily coronavirus press briefing.

After Cuomo, 62, acknowledged that "we still have much more to do" in spite of the state's record-low numbers, the father of three took a brief moment to thank his daughters — twins Mariah and Cara, 25, and 22-year-old Michaela — for their support throughout the difficult months.

"I want to thank my Cara, Mariah and Michaela for keeping me grounded and making me laugh at times that I thought I would cry," he said.

Later on in the briefing, Cuomo addressed how Michaela, who graduated from Brown University this year, could not have a traditional college graduation due to the health crisis.

"She was going to have a great ceremony and a big party. And I said that I was sorry that she would miss that," he said. "But she said something interesting. She said she was disappointed about missing the ceremony, but that she had learned a lot over these past three months.

"She learned about herself. She learned about government. And she learned about people. That she had gotten an education just when she thought her education was over," Cuomo continued. "And after 62 years, when I thought that I had seen it all, I got an education too."

RELATED: Gov. Andrew Cuomo Shares Sweet Message to Daughter Michaela in Honor of Her College Graduation

Cuomo shares his three daughters with ex-wife Kerry Kennedy. The pair wed in 1990 and divorced 15 years later.

Michaela, who majored at Brown University in education and human development, joined her father during a briefing on March 19, urging young people to take social distancing seriously.

The father of three has also raved about spending quality time with his three daughters during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I have my three girls with me Cara, Mariah and Michaela. They were forced to come home," Cuomo told Jimmy Fallon during a virtual appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last month.

"You know, they're in their early 20s, so hanging out with dad is not super cool right now. But that was the silver lining to the quarantine, they had to come home," Cuomo said. "So they're with me, and that's great. Otherwise, they're in their early 20s, the last thing they want to do is hang out with dad, and they're out there living their lives."

The proud parent added, "In a crazy way, this gave me time with them that I would have never had so that's been great."

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. To help provide doctors and nurses on the front lines with life-saving medical resources, donate to Direct Relief here.