Al Roker Welcomes First Grandchild: All About His Family
Baby snuggles are in Al Roker's forecast! The TODAY host and father of three announced in early July that he's a first-time granddad. "In love all over again," he wrote on Instagram. He also thanked his oldest daughter, Courtney Roker Laga, for bringing the baby into this world. "Already planning the ways to spoil her and then hand her back," he joked.
Roker's love for his family, which includes wife Deborah Roberts and kids Leila Roker and Nick Roker, is well documented (consider that a perk of being on TV!), but that doesn't mean you don't need a refresher on the famous weatherman's kids (and their mothers). Here's everything there is to know about the crew Roker adores most of all.
How many children does Al Roker have?
Al Roker has three kids: Courtney Roker Laga, 36; Leila Roker, 24; and Nick Roker, 20.
"The best gift is when they're all together, especially as they get older," Roker said on The TODAY Show this past Father's Day.
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Who are the mothers of Al Roker's children?
Roker adopted his oldest daughter, Courtney, with his first wife, Alice Bell. He shares kids Leila and Nick with his second wife, Deborah Roberts.
Who are Al Roker's children?
Courtney Roker Laga, 36
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Roker's oldest child is daughter Courtney, whom he and his first wife, Alice Bell, adopted shortly after Courtney was born in 1987 (she celebrates her birthday on May 14, making her 36 years old).
Courtney, who works as a culinary content manager and recipe developer for Chefman and Chef IQ, revealed in April that she and her father are collaborating on a cookbook together. "I put all my heart into this," she said on Instagram.
In more happy news, Courtney and her husband, Wesley Laga, welcomed their first child, a daughter named Sky Clara Laga, on July 3, 2023. "[W]e are absolutely obsessed with her," Courtney wrote on Instagram.
Courtney and Wesley married in June 2021. Roker revealed on TODAY that his future son-in-law reached out to ask for his blessing.
"He texted me to say, 'Can we get together? There is something I want to talk to you about,'" Roker shared. They got a corner table at one of their favorite restaurants, and that's where the exchange went down. "I told [him], it's a lot of work. But anything worthwhile is."
Leila Roker, 24
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Roker welcomed his second daughter (and his first child with wife Deborah Roberts), Leila, more than 10 years after adopting Courtney. She was born Nov. 17, 1998.
Leila studied at the American University of Paris before graduating in May 2021, and has since worked with beauty brands L'Oréal and Lela Rose.
She also appears to have followed in her father's professional footsteps, at least on one occasion. In 2021, Roker shared that while he was in Tokyo covering the Olympics for NBC, his middle child was also there, working as a production runner for the primetime show on Peacock. "She's always wanted to do this," he told People. "She was 3 years old at the Salt Lake Olympics [in 2002] and she really was fascinated by the production runners."
Leila is also an outspoken activist for civil and social rights. She penned an essay in the wake of George Floyd's murder in 2020 in which she wrote in part, "The murder of George Floyd was stealing. Derek Chauvin stole a life from George Floyd...It’s shocking that in America, nurses train four to five years in higher education institutions to save lives, but to become a police officer, all that’s required is a high school degree and a few months of training to also 'save lives.'"
Nick Roker, 20
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Nick joined the family on July 18, 2002. Al has been open about Nick's diagnosis of autism, and told Guideposts in 2019 that Nick's different needs were obvious from an early age.
"We knew right from the beginning that [Nick] would be up against a whole different set of challenges," he said. "The obstacles in this kid's way were things that might have tripped up many others. Not Nick, not even with the disabilities he was born with."
With the help of his parents and specialists, Nick has gone on to achieve a lot in his 20 years. He is a black belt in Taekwondo and has won two gold medals at the 2016 Special Olympics. He started college in August 2022.
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How many biological children does Al Roker have?
Roker has two biological children: daughter Leila and son Nick.
How many of Al Roker's children are adopted?
Roker has one adopted child, daughter Courtney, with his first wife, Alice Bell.
Who was Al Roker's first wife?
Roker married his first wife, Alice Bell, in 1984. The exes have kept details of their relationship and split out of the public eye, so not much is known about their time together. Hello! Magazine reports that they separated when their daughter, Courtney, whom they adopted in 1987, was 5 years old.
Who is Al Roker married to now?
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Roker has been married to Deborah Roberts since September 1995. He celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary by posting a video from their wedding day on Instagram.
"A #happy25thanniversary to @debrobertsabc who helps me a better #father #brother #person and challenges me to do better each and every day," he wrote.
Is Al Roker a grandfather?
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Yes! Roker celebrated the birth of his first grandchild, Sky Clara Laga, in July 2023. He shared a photo of the newborn on Instagram, where he wrote, "And then this little girl came into my life. Welcome to the world, Sky Clara Laga. In love all over again. Thank you, Courtney and Wes for such a perfect blessing. You [sic] baby is beautiful. Already planning the ways to spoil her and then hand her back."