‘Today’: Al Roker Deals With Another Frustrating Tesla Malfunction

Today show star Al Roker and his wife Debra Robert had a very frustrating Tesla malfunction back in November, and now they’re dealing with another one. Page Six reports that, on Sunday, the couple was brunching with friends at Marks on Madison. However, when they went to leave after eating, the doors to their Tesla Model X would not close. 

“Al was sitting in the car trying everything he could think of to get the door to close,” a source stated. The TV weatherman did all could but the door simply wouldn’t close. One source noted that Roker eventually shut the door with his bare hands, which they said “may not be great for a car with motorized doors.” Notably, a source close to Roker told Page Six that the problem was simply a piece of cardboard blocking a sensor.

The Tesla snafu comes weeks after Roberts had trouble with the same car the day that Roker was readmitted to the hospital due to blood clot issues. 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.