Steve Harvey asked a simple family feud question to a 78-year-old grandmother, but her answer was so heartbreaking that it stopped the entire show. By the time she finished speaking, there wasn’t a dry eye in the studio. It was Thursday, April 20th, 2023. During a regular family feud taping at the Atlanta studios, the Williams family from Birmingham, Alabama was competing against the Rodriguez family from Phoenix, Arizona.
Both families had brought great energy to the show, and the audience was thoroughly entertained by the back and forth competition. The Williams family was led by their matriarch, 78-year-old Rose Williams, a retired school teacher who had raised five children and helped raise 14 grandchildren. Rose had been reluctant to appear on the show, but her family had convinced her that it would be fun and that her wisdom and quick wit would be perfect for Family Feud.
What none of them knew was that Rose was carrying a secret that would soon touch the hearts of everyone in the studio. From the moment Rose Williams walked onto the Family Feud stage, she charmed everyone in the studio. At 78 years old, she moved slowly but with dignity, wearing her best church dress and a smile that could light up the room.
Steve Harvey was immediately taken with Rose’s warm personality and sharp sense of humor. During the introductions, she had made everyone laugh by telling Steve that she had been watching him since he had hair and that she was proud of how far he had come. Mrs. Rose, you are a treasure, Steve had said during the family introductions.
How many grandchildren do you have? 14 biological grandchildren, Mr. Steve. Rose had replied with pride. But I’ve probably helped raise about 30 neighborhood children over the years. When you’re a teacher for 42 years, every child becomes your child. The audience had applauded her warmly, and Steve could tell that Rose was going to be special.
The Williams family had played well with Rose contributing solid answers and keeping everyone’s spirits up with her encouraging words to her family members. She had a way of making everyone feel supported even when they gave answers that weren’t on the board. The game was tied going into the final round and it was Rose’s turn to play fast money.
Her grandson Marcus had gone first and scored a respectable 156 points, leaving Rose needing 44 points to win the $20,000 for her family. Steve walked over to Rose at the fast money podium, and she looked up at him with bright, intelligent eyes that held decades of life experience. “Mrs. Rose, your family needs 44 points to win $20,000, Steve announced.
Are you ready to bring it home for the Williams family? I’m ready, Mr. Steve, Rose said with quiet confidence. Let’s do this, Steve began the fast money questions, and Rose’s answers were solid and quick. Name something people do to relax. Raid a book. Nus 32 points. Name a place people go on vacation. The beach. Nos. 28 points.
Name something you might find in a grandmother’s purse. Candy. Rose had accumulated 91 points, bringing the family total to 247, well over the 200 needed to win. The family was already celebrating and the audience was cheering. But Steve had two more questions to ask. And it was the fourth question that would change everything. Mrs.
Rose Steve said, “Name something you do everyday to show your family you love them.” It seemed like a simple question, the kind of wholesome topic that Family Feud specialized in. Steve expected an answer like, “Cook for them or hug them or tell them I love them.” But Rose Williams paused for a longer moment than usual.
Her smile faded slightly and Steve could see something deeper happening in her expression. Mrs. Rose, Steve prompted gently. Rose looked directly at Steve, then at her family members standing nearby, then out at the studio audience. I pray for each of them by name every night, she said quietly. Even the ones who aren’t here anymore.
The studio fell silent. There was something in the way Rose had said. even the ones who aren’t here anymore. That carried a weight of loss and love that everyone in the room could feel. Steve, sensing that there was more to this answer than appeared on the surface, set down his cards and walked closer to Rose. Mrs.
Rose, when you say the ones who aren’t here anymore. What do you mean? Rose’s eyes filled with tears, but her voice remained steady. Mr. Steve, I’ve buried three of my children and two of my grandchildren in the past 10 years, but every night when I pray for my family, I still pray for them, too, because love doesn’t stop when someone goes to heaven.
” The studio audience gasped audibly. Several people in the family section began crying immediately. Steve Harvey, who had been hosting Family Feud for over a decade and thought he’d heard every possible family story, felt his throat tighten. “Mrs. Rose, I’m so sorry for your losses,” Steve said gently. “Can you tell us about them?” Rose nodded, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks.
“My youngest son, David, died in Afghanistan in 2013. He was a sergeant in the army just 28 years old. My daughter Lisa died of breast cancer in 2018. She was only 45 and left behind three beautiful children. Rose paused to compose herself but continued, “My son Michael died in a car accident in 2020. He was coming home from work and a drunk driver hit him and two of my grandb babies.
They were just children when they passed. Little Anthony was born with a heart defect and only lived 6 months. And my granddaughter Sarah was killed by a stray bullet when she was just 7 years old. The studio was completely silent except for the sound of people crying. Hardened television crew members who had worked on thousands of shows were wiping their eyes.
The competing Rodriguez family, was crying along with everyone else. Steve Harvey, a man who made his living with words, couldn’t speak for several long moments. Mrs. Rose, Steve finally managed, his voice thick with emotion. How do you How do you keep going? How do you keep that beautiful smile and that loving spirit after losing so much? Rose Williams looked at Steve with the kind of clarity that only comes from surviving unimaginable loss and choosing love.
Anyway, “Mr. Steve, I learned a long time ago that grief and gratitude can live in the same heart,” she said. “Yes, I miss my babies every single day, but I still have 11 grandchildren who need their grandma Rose. I still have two children who call me every day. I still have a purpose,” she paused, gathering her thoughts.
“And you know what? When I pray for David and Lisa and Michael and little Anthony and sweet Sarah every night, it keeps them alive in my heart.” Love doesn’t die when people die. It just changes shape. Steve Harvey did something unprecedented. He walked around the podium and hugged Rose Williams right there on the Family Feud stage in front of all the cameras and the live audience. “Mrs.
Rose, you are the strongest person I have ever met on this stage,” Steve said. His voice breaking, “Your love is bigger than your loss, and that is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever witnessed.” The studio audience erupted in the longest, most emotional standing ovation in Family Feud history. People weren’t just clapping.
They were sobbing and cheering and expressing a kind of raw emotional response that television rarely captures. But the most beautiful moment came when the Rodriguez family, the family that the Williams family had been competing against, walked over and surrounded Rose in a group hug. “Mrs. Rose,” said Maria Rodriguez, the mother of the competing family.
“You’re not just the Williams family’s grandmother now. You’re our grandmother, too.” The sight of two competing families united in love and support for one woman’s courage was so powerful that the production crew had to stop filming for 10 minutes while everyone composed themselves. When Steve finally returned to the fast money questions, the mood had completely shifted.
This wasn’t about winning or losing anymore. It was about witnessing something sacred. Mrs. Rose, “We still have one more question,” Steve said gently. “But honestly, you’ve already won something more valuable than money. You’ve shown all of us what real strength looks like.” Rose smiled through her tears.
“Ask me your question, Mr. Steve. I’m ready. Name something that makes a house feel like home.” Steve said without hesitation, Rose answered. the people who love each other inside it, whether they’re still with you or watching from heaven.” Steve looked at the board, knowing that Rose’s beautiful answer probably wouldn’t be there in those exact words. Mrs.
Rose, that answer is perfect, but let’s see if it’s on the board, Steve said. The answer revealed was family pictures worth 15 points. Close enough, Steve said with a smile. Family pictures, family prayers, family love, it’s all the same thing. Rose had completed Fast Money with a total of 185 points, giving the Williams family 341 points total and the $20,000 prize.
But Steve Harvey wasn’t finished. As the Williams family celebrated their win, Steve made an announcement that surprised everyone. Ladies and gentlemen, in all my years of hosting this show, I’ve never met anyone like Mrs. Rose Williams. Her story reminds us that love is stronger than loss and that family extends beyond blood to include everyone who shows up for each other.
Steve paused, collecting his thoughts. Mrs. Rose, your family won $20,000 today, but you’ve given all of us something worth much more. You’ve reminded us what real wealth looks like. It’s measured in the love we give and the prayers we say and the way we keep people alive in our hearts. When the episode aired 6 weeks later, the response was immediate and overwhelming.
The clip of Rose’s emotional moment was shared over 100 million times across social media platforms within the first week. But more importantly, the video inspired thousands of people to share their own stories of loss and resilience. The # pray for them by name began trending as people shared memories of loved ones they had lost but still included in their daily prayers.
The family feud offices were flooded with letters from viewers who had been touched by Rose’s story. Many were from people who had experienced similar losses and felt less alone after seeing Rose’s courage. Mrs. Rose helped me realize that I’m not crazy for still setting a place at the table for my husband who died last year, wrote one viewer.
Watching Rose talk about her grandchildren made me understand that my son who died of cancer is still part of our family story, wrote another. 6 months later, Rose Williams returned to Family Feud for a special heroes edition episode. This time she was accompanied by all 11 of her surviving grandchildren who wanted to honor their grandmother on national television.
When Rose walked onto the stage, she received another standing ovation from the studio audience. But this time, she was smiling brightly, surrounded by the living proof that love continues and families endure. “Mrs. Rose, how are you doing?” Steve asked during the introduction. “Mr. Steve, I’m blessed.” Rose replied. That day we were here before something beautiful happened.
People from all over the world reached out to tell me about their own angels watching from heaven. I realized that my babies and I helped a lot of people feel less alone in their grief. Rose’s appearance on Family Feud inspired the creation of the Rose Williams Foundation for Grieving Families, which provides support groups and counseling services for people who have lost multiple family members.
The foundation’s motto, taken from Rose’s own words, is love doesn’t die when people die. It just changes shape. Steve Harvey became the foundation’s first major donor and serves on its board of directors. Rose Williams moment on Family Feud became more than just a viral video. It became a masterclass in how to survive unthinkable loss while maintaining love, hope, and purpose.
Her simple answer about praying for family members, even the ones who aren’t here anymore, opened a conversation about grief, resilience, and the continuing bonds between the living and the dead. Mrs. Rose taught me that strength isn’t about not feeling pain. Steve said in a later interview, “Strength is about feeling all the pain and choosing love anyway.
” Today, Rose Williams continues to be a source of wisdom and comfort for her surviving family members and for the thousands of people around the world who were touched by her story. She still prays for her family by name every night. All of them, including those watching from heaven, and every morning she wakes up ready to love the people who are still with her as fully as possible.
The Family Feud episode featuring Rose Williams has been viewed over 200 million times across all platforms, making it one of the most watched game show moments in internet history. Rose Williams went on Family Feud to help her family win $20,000. What she actually won was much more valuable. She showed millions of people that it’s possible to carry great loss and great love at the same time.
Her courage in sharing her deepest pain on national television created a community of people who no longer feel alone in their grief. Steve Harvey thought he was just asking routine family feud questions. Instead, he witnessed a demonstration of the kind of strength that can only come from choosing hope in the face of heartbreak.
Tonight, somewhere in Birmingham, Alabama, 78-year-old Rose Williams will kneel beside her bed and pray for her family by name. She’ll pray for the 11 grandchildren who call her regularly. She’ll pray for her two surviving children who check on her everyday. and she’ll pray for David and Lisa and Michael and little Anthony and sweet Sarah because love doesn’t stop when someone goes to heaven and prayers don’t have expiration dates.
The simple family feud question that Steve Harvey asked Rose Williams lasted 30 seconds, but the wisdom she shared in response will last forever. reminding all of us that the strongest people aren’t those who avoid loss. They’re those who transform loss into love and use their pain to help heal others.
If this incredible story of love, loss, and unbreakable strength moved your heart, make sure to subscribe and hit that thumbs up button. Share this video with someone who needs to be reminded that grief and gratitude can coexist and that love really doesn’t die. Have you ever experienced a loss that taught you something beautiful about love? Let us know in the comments.