Katie Couric's Courtship

By Stephen M. Silverman

Tuesday June 30, 1998 12:00 AM EDT

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The "Today" show's $7 million cohost Katie Couric, 43, and high-powered multimillionaire TV producer Tom Werner ("The Cosby Show," "3rd Rock from the Sun"), 50, are now definitely an item, reports PEOPLE in its new cover story. Couric, still mourning the loss of her husband, attorney Jay Monahan (who died of colon cancer at 42 in January 1998), had re-entered the dating game last year, briefly seeing Nabisco executive Steve Rudnitsky, 42, and plastic surgeon Cap Lesesne, 45, among others. Then, enter Werner, who was introduced to Couric by her manager in May. With a net worth reported to be $600 million, Werner was also newly single, having separated only the month before from his wife of 28 years, Jill. Once he met Katie, he soon began regularly jetting to New York from L.A. (where he lives and works), and the two were spotted out and about in Manhattan and the Hamptons. In September Werner spent four days in Sydney compliments of NBC, while Couric covered the Olympics. All told, "He's one of the warmest, nicest, fun guys," says one Werner pal, Washington political lobbyist Liz Robbins. "His whole personality is a smile."