Who was Aaron Latham? Tributes pour in as Urban Cowboy screenwriter and Leslie Stahl's husband died aged 77

Leslie Stahl’s husband Aaron Latham recently passed away at the age of 78 on July 23. He was hospitalized at Bryn Mawr Hospital in Pennsylvania at the time of his death.

Aaron was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and also contracted Covid-19 in 2020. While speaking to a news outlet, Leslie stated that she and Aaron contracted the virus at the same time.

Leslie also stated that she had to go to the hospital after getting pneumonia and recovered immediately. Speaking about her husband, she mentioned that the virus added to the complications of his Parkinson’s.

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Everything known about Aaron Latham

Aaron Latham was a famous journalist, author, and screenwriter. He contributed to publications like Rolling Stone, Esquire, Talk, and The New York Times.

Born on October 3, 1943, Latham was raised by his father Cecil Clyde Latham and mother Annie Launa Cozby in Spur in Dickens County, West Texas, near Lubbock. He did his schooling at Catalina High School in Tucson, Arizona, US and enrolled at Princeton University, New Jersey.

Aaron Latham was a journalist, screenwriter and author (Image via Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images)

Aaron worked as a reporter at The Washington Post and reported for New York magazine on the Watergate scandal. The movie Urban Cowboy was inspired by Latham’s article and he co-wrote the script with director James Bridges. He also co-wrote the book for the Broadway musical version in 2003.

Latham’s net worth was estimated to be around $3 million and he earned around $1.8 million as a journalist. Detailed information related to his career is currently unavailable.

Latham later gained recognition as Leslie Stahl's husband. Speaking to People, Stahl once recalled that they were both reporting on the Watergate scandal in 1972 and said,

“He called me out of the blue. I think I slammed the phone down on him. We dated through the hearings and the trials. Then finally Nixon resigned, and we looked at each other and we said, ‘What are we going to talk about now?’”

The pair spoke about their first meeting in 1977 stating that Latham first saw Stahl on the news and they met in person. Latham said that he turned on the TV to see what Stahl looked like and added that she was beautiful.

Speaking about their first date, Latham revealed that he did not have to worry about whether he could talk or not since he did not get the chance. They tied the knot in 1977 and welcomed a daughter, Taylor Stahl Latham.

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Netizens pay tribute on Twitter

Aaron Latham became a familiar name among the public for his flawless work as a journalist. Admirers expressed their grief on Twitter when they heard about his death.

Latham was buried in his hometown of Spur, Texas.

Latham is survived by his wife Leslie Stahl and daughter Taylor Stahl Latham.