Al Roker has opened up about how he “accidentally” found out that his daughter Courtney is pregnant with their first child after someone ruined the surprise with a text message.
The 68-year-old Today host was absent from Tuesday’s morning show when his eldest daughter announced the instagram that she and her husband, Wesley Laga, are expecting a baby.
The next day, Roker celebrated the news with his co-stars, saying that his first grandchild is due in July. She didn’t reveal the gender, but she slipped in and named the baby “she” before backing off.
I’ve known it for a while. They just decided to go ahead (and announce it)’, she told Craig Melvin, Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb. Wes’ goofy brother accidentally dropped it in a text message. Thank you Cory!
Al Roker revealed on the Today show on Wednesday that he “accidentally” found out that his daughter Courtney is pregnant with their first child after someone ruined the surprise with a text message.
The day before, Courtney announced on Instagram that she and her husband, Wesley Laga, are expecting a baby.
Roker’s first grandchild is due in July, and while she didn’t reveal the gender, she slipped by and named the baby “she” before backing off.
“There is one in every family,” Guthrie said.
“Two in mine,” the future grandfather quipped.
Roker still has some time before the baby arrives, but he already knows what he wants his grandson to call him.
“I think in honor of my father I’m going to try and go for Pop-Pop,” he said.
Courtney, 36, is Roker’s only child with his ex-wife, Alice Bell. He also has a youngest daughter, Leila, 24, and a son, Nicholas, 20, with his wife, Deborah Roberts.
“Deborah’s still not quite sure about the granny thing, but we’re so excited,” she told her co-stars. She still hasn’t fully assimilated.
Roker then continued the celebrations with a champagne toast with Melvin, Sheinelle Jones and Dylan Dreyer during the third hour of the show.
The weatherman gifted him some Today onesies for the baby and shared what kind of grandpa he wants to be.
I’ve known it for a while. They just decided to go ahead (and announce it),” Roker said. Wes’ goofy brother accidentally dropped it in a text message. Thank you Cory!
The weatherman still has time for the baby to arrive, but he already knows that he wants his grandson to call him Pop-Pop.
Roker then continued the celebrations with a champagne toast during the third hour of the show. She was also gifted a set of Today onesies for the baby.
“It depends on what you consider the best grandfather,” he said. “To this grandson, I’m going to be the best grandfather because I’ll do everything I can to spoil this little girl, and then I’ll give her back.”
“Wait, you’re referring to her,” Dreyer pointed out.
“Uhh,” Roker stammered, not knowing how to respond.
The weatherman’s slip suggests Courtney is expecting a baby girl, but it’s possible she simply said “her” out of habit while talking about her oldest daughter.
Melvin quickly jumped in to save him and said, “It could be him.”
Courtney’s baby announcement included photos of her with her husband, Wes, whom she married in 2021. The footage, which was set to Brent Morgan’s cover of Mariah Carey’s hit Always Be My Baby, later cut to your sonogram.
“A new adventure is about to begin,” the mom-to-be wrote in the caption.
‘Here we go!!! So very very happy!!!!! Guys,” Courtney’s dad responded, while Courtney’s stepmom Deborah added, “This is so exciting!!!”
Courtney’s baby announcement included photos of her with her husband, Wes, whom she married in 2021.
The footage, which was set to Brent Morgan’s cover of Mariah Carey’s hit Always Be My Baby, was later cut to her sonogram.
Roker shared the clip on his own Instagram page the next day.
‘I couldn’t be happier for these two. Now begins Dad’s revenge. Spoil this child and then give the baby back to him. Hahahahahahaha,” she joked.
Courtney told Today that the baby is healthy and feeling great halfway through her pregnancy.
“We are very excited to welcome a new member to our family and start this next chapter in our lives,” he said. “We feel truly blessed and excited by our little miracle.”
The news of Roker’s growing family comes just months after he faced a life-threatening health issue. She suffered from blood clots and internal bleeding last year..
During a nearly seven-hour emergency surgery, doctors He had to resect his colon, remove his gallbladder and repair a tear in the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine that connects to the stomach.
Roker made his triumphant return to the Today show on January 6 following his two-month medical leave, which included a total of four weeks in the hospital.
After her hospitalization, she prioritized sleep and made a conscious decision to stay home longer.
“We’re not going to say any more about things,” he explained on Maria Shriver’s digital series, Conversations Above the Noise with Maria. “There will always be things that are important to us that we want to do and take care of… but, you know, maybe it’s not that important to go out there.”
