Tragic Things You Never Knew About The TODAY Show Cast

The following article contains mentions of addiction and pregnancy loss.

The co-hosts of NBC's "Today" show often seem like the happiest people in the world. Not only are they rich and famous, but they are also frequently featured joking and laughing on TV. These journalists get to interview celebrities, greet fans of the show, and discuss plenty of good news that makes television worthwhile. At first glance, it may seem like the co-hosts of "Today" have no problems at all. But a closer look at the trials and tribulations of the show's beloved cast, however, reveals tragedy lingering among them. 

Many of the co-hosts have lost close family members to cancer. Others have mourned friends who have died in natural disasters. Some members of the cast have even suffered health issues of their own — leading to uncomfortable surgeries and tragic miscarriages. Throughout it all, these television personalities have managed to show up for work and do their jobs — all while putting a smile on their faces and spreading cheer across the nation.

"Today" show host Savannah Guthrie may never return to television after the kidnapping of her mother, Nancy Guthrie. However, the shocking disappearance of Savannah's mom is hardly her first brush with tragedy. Back in 1988, the television personality suffered a tremendous loss when her father, Charles Guthrie, unexpectedly died of a heart attack. At the time, Savannah was still in high school. "My father died when I was 16," she recalled in an interview with People. "I think about him all the time. He was deep and complicated, and he didn't talk to us like little kids."

Charles' death was not just hard on Savannah but also on her entire family. It was particularly difficult to process, as his death came with no warning. "The loss of my father was shocking and devastating," she shared in the same interview. "It cracked open our family and crushed us. He was our center." She went on to describe Charles as a role model for his kids, stating, "We just idealized him and adored him. He was larger than life, and funny, and charming, and adorable. His loss was so sudden and so shocking." Ultimately, the fact that Savannah experienced this tragic loss just makes the kidnapping of her mother even more shocking. Combined with Savannah's history of health issues, it all paints the picture of a very tragic and complicated life for the famous TV host.

Savannah Guthrie is not the only member of the "Today" show cast who faced tragedy at an early age. Her co-host, Craig Melvin, has also struggled with complicated family dynamics from the time of his youth — particularly addiction. Indeed, Craig's father, Lawrence Melvin, experienced several different addictions, including alcohol, gambling, and cigarettes. The journalist opened up about this reality in an interview with People. "[My father's] alcoholism robbed me of childhood memories," Craig shared. "There were so many times where I wish my father had been there for a recital or a little league game or an oratorical contest, and he was passed out or he was at the video poker machines or he was working."

Speaking to People in the same interview, Melvin's father — who became sober at the age of 67 — said that he was happy to confront the past. "Alcoholics think you're never hurting anybody but yourself, but it's not true," Lawrence said. In his opinion, Craig's decision to speak out about his difficult childhood was a positive thing. The reason? Lawrence would finally get the chance to understand his son's pain and make amends. "It's a big relief for me and giving us a chance to get closer," he shared. As for Craig, he has made an effort to educate himself about addiction. "I thought he was weak and lazy," he admitted. "I didn't understand that he was sick."

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

When the all-girls Texas summer camp, Camp Mystic, experienced a tragic flood in 2025, 27 campers and counselors tragically died. For fourth-hour co-host Jenna Bush Hager, this loss was personal, as she had strong ties to the institution. Speaking on "Today," Bush Hager shared that she had known the camp's director, Richard Eastland, who also died trying to save his campers. "That family, the Eastland family, is Texas royalty," she said. "They raised so many girls ... So many of my friends [who went to Camp Mystic when they were younger] said that he was their summer father. He looked out for his campers; he raised girls to be brave and loving."

Bush Hager's ties to Camp Mystic spanned beyond her personal relationship with Eastland. Her mother, Laura Bush, had actually been a counselor at the institution back in the day, and several of Bush Hager's close friends had sent their kids to that camp right before tragedy struck. "My mom was a drama counselor there, but many of my friends were there, had their kids there, last week. And, the stories that I heard over the last couple of days were beautiful and heartbreaking," Bush Hager shared. Although it was difficult for the former first daughter to watch the tragedy unfold, she found hope in the goodness of the local people. "Texas has a type of resilience, where they're generous people," Bush Hager added.

Fourth-hour co-host Sheinelle Jones and her husband, Uche Ojeh, were desperately in love when the impossible happened: Ojeh was diagnosed with brain cancer, and the prognosis was not good. As they lived out the last days of their marriage, Jones and Ojeh soaked up as much time together as possible. "We would just hold hands, and the nurses would come in, and they would call us the lovebirds. And we would just look at each other, say 'I love you,' and hold hands," Jones said in an interview with "Today" in September 2025 — four months following Ojeh's death. She described these final loving moments as a "beautiful nightmare."

In the same interview, Jones said that she struggled with her Christian faith in the wake of her husband's brain cancer diagnosis. However, she also reported that watching Ojeh rely on his own faith inspired her to do the same. "There can't be a God. No way a God would do that to somebody like Sheinelle. There's no way, right? It would be very easy to think that. But you look at somebody like my husband — his faith is what kept him going," she explained. 

When Ojeh did eventually die in May 2025, Jones did her best to focus on the positive things in her life. She took time off from work and went on a "restorative tour," as she called it on Instagram. This involved "Yoga with my friends. Travel. Spas. Meditation."

From afar, Dylan Dreyer looked like she had it all — a sweet job on "Today," a happy marriage, and a joyful little son named Calvin. However, behind the scenes, the journalist was struggling. Although she had already welcomed one child, Dreyer wanted to expand her family. This time, however, falling pregnant was not as easy as she had hoped. Opening up about her struggle with People, Dreyer shared, " ... [E]verybody you run into [is like], 'When's Calvin having a sibling? When are you gonna give Calvin a brother or sister?'" This question weighed heavily on her heart, as she was experiencing secondary infertility. Then, when she did finally fall pregnant again in 2019, Dreyer experienced a miscarriage. Hopelessness began to set in.

Making things even more challenging, Dreyer was afraid to speak out about her difficulties. As she told People in the same interview, " ... I thought I was going to get a little bit of negative pushback — kind of like, 'Well, you already have a son, so be happy for what you have.'" Once she did share her story with the world, though, Dreyer was pleasantly surprised by the reaction. "I was so overwhelmed by the positive feedback and the overwhelming support and people just keeping me in their prayers," she said. Dreyer eventually went to a fertility clinic in search of answers, but by then, she had already fallen pregnant naturally with her second child, Oliver, whom she welcomed in 2020. Another son, Russell, joined the family in 2021.

Family has long been an important factor in weatherman Al Roker's life. The television personality had to grapple with family tragedy when his ex-wife, Alice Bell, died in 2025. Although Bell and Roker had long been separated at the time of her death, the television personality had to be there for his beloved daughter, Courtney Roker Laga, who had lost her mother. For that reason, he took time away from the "Today" show following the news of Bell's passing.

As for Roker Laga, facing the reality of Bell's death was a challenge. Writing in the caption of an Instagram post featuring several photos of Bell, she opened up about the magnitude of the loss. "She was my mother, my heart, and the most loving grandmother to Sky. I was with her for her last breath, and I will carry her love with me always," she wrote. Because Bell and Roker Laga had a close relationship, it was likely very difficult for Roker to watch his daughter grieve. The news anchor has never been shy about his immense love for his daughter, even once tearfully revealing on "Today" about what fatherhood means to him, saying, " ... you will know that your heart beats outside your body to somebody else's."

Craig Melvin is known for being an ardent activist who is passionate about raising awareness of colon cancer. Along with his wife, Lindsay Czarniak, Melvin organized the Bottoms Up Invitational — a multi-event fundraiser supporting those affected by the disease. While Melvin's efforts are admirable, they are also deeply personal. His brother, Lawrence Meadows, died of colon cancer in 2020. Because Meadows had always been in good health, the initial diagnosis came as a shock to Melvin. "He didn't drink, he didn't smoke," Melvin recalled in an interview with People. "He played football in college and high school as well. He was athletic. He was an entrepreneur."

In Melvin's view, one of the best ways to combat the disease is by encouraging people to undergo colonoscopies and other similar procedures that can catch it early. "Colonoscopies are gold standard, but we like to encourage folks to take whatever test you want. I mean, now these days, you've probably seen the talking box, the at-home stool kits," he shared in the same interview. Melvin has been open about undergoing colonoscopies himself — and hopes that more people will get the procedure. "I've always taken my health fairly seriously," he said. "I've had two colonoscopies since [Lawrence] died."

Much like her colleague, Al Roker, Sheinelle Jones has been outspoken about the importance of taking care of one's health. Jones has not always had an easy time in terms of her own physical well-being, and one of the many tragic details about the "Today" show host is that a polyp was found on one of her vocal cords in 2016. Although this growth ultimately disappeared, it would not be the last thing to harm that area of Jones' body. In 2020, the television personality discovered a lesion on one of her vocal cords. This time, she would need surgery followed by a full two weeks without speaking.

"When you talk, your vocal cords vibrate, and so because they're removing it, I'm going to be on vocal rest. I can't talk because they want those cords to heal without banging into each other," Jones explained on "Today". Although remaining silent for such an extensive period of time would be challenging for most, Jones did not seem bothered by the limitation. Instead, she tried to reframe this period of quiet as an opportunity to do the things she never had the chance to do. "Because it's a gift to sit still and do some soul searching, do some reading, do some writing," she said. "Nobody ever tells you you have permission to sit still."

There are few things more challenging for a parent than seeing their child suffer, but for years, this was a constant part of "Today" co-host Dylan Dreyer's life. Her son, Calvin, suffered constant stomach pain throughout his childhood. As Dreyer would later tell Today.com, "There was one time the pain was so bad that we thought maybe he had something like his appendix burst. He was hunched over in pain."

This was not the only symptom that impacted the young Calvin; he experienced terrible earaches that drove him to see an ear, nose, and throat specialist. "Everything was fine with his ears. But he complained of an earache all the time," Dreyer added in the same interview. The boy was also plagued by rashes, and he had issues with his dexterity. Although these symptoms were initially unexplained, Dreyer fought to get some much-needed medical answers. Eventually, Calvin was diagnosed with Celiac disease.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that is triggered by the presence of gluten. People who suffer from Celiac — like Calvin — cannot have the smallest exposure to gluten products without risking bodily harm. As Dreyer put it, "Not only is it not feeding him any wheat products, but it's also the cross-contamination risk." This strict diet may not be easy to follow, but for Calvin, it's worth it. "He finally feels good," Dreyer shared. "He's happy we discovered this."