Al Roker Announces Big Family News on 'Today'

By Stephen Andrew

Al Roker announced some big family news on the Today show, revealing that he is going to be a grandfather. On Wednesday, the beloved weatherman shared that his oldest daughter, Courtney Roker Laga — whom Roker shares with his ex-wife, Alice Bell — is expecting her first child. This will be Roker's first grandchild.

"It's hard to believe. It still hasn't quite sunken in," Roker told his Today show co-hosts, then adding that he's "known for a while" about the big news. He also joked that Laga's husband Wesley's "goofy brother" was the first to accidentally spill the beans through "text." Roker also stated that he is hoping his grandpa nickname will be "pop-pop," in honor of his own father. "We are extremely excited to welcome a new member into our family and start this next chapter in our lives. We feel truly blessed and excited for our little miracle," Laga told Today.com in an exclusive statement on the news. She added that they are not planning to announce the baby's due, but assured readers that she is "feeling great and baby is healthy."

The exciting baby news comes months after Roker had to take a leave of absence from Today, due to some health problems. The issues began in early November when the beloved meteorologist was hospitalized for clots in his legs and lungs. "Last week I was admitted to the hospital with a blood clot in my leg which sent some clots into my lungs," Roker wrote in a Nov. 18 Instagram post. After being treated, he was released to spend Thanksgiving with his family but had to be transported back to the hospital on Friday, Nov. 25.

Speaking to Page Six, a source familiar with the situation said, "Al was taken from his home in a stretcher back to the hospital on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. His condition was worrying, but once back in the hospital, he improved." They added, "His wife, Deborah [Roberts], was understandably very upset." The source went on to share that Roberts — an ABC News journalist — "had left her phone and other possessions inside their Tesla, which had malfunctioned and wouldn't unlock, so she was trying to smash in a window." 

The insider stated that Roberts was "unsuccessful" in her attempt to get inside the electric car. "Deborah then went to the hospital by taxi with her daughter, where Al has since been surrounded by his family." Notably, Roker's health issues caused him to miss both the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Thankfully, Roker appears to be doing much better and has been back at Today.

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