Al Roker's 3 Kids: Everything to Know

Leila Roker Instagram

For Al Roker, family is everything.

The Today weather anchor first became a father in 1987 when his daughter Courtney, 35 – whom he shares with ex-wife Alice Bell — was born. Following his divorce from Bell in 1994, Roker wed Deborah Roberts in 1995 and the couple went on to have two children together: daughter Leila, 24, and son Nick, 20.

"I think we're good cop, bad cop, depending on the kid and the situation," Roker once told PEOPLE of his and Roberts' parenting style. In 2022, the longtime TV personality shared how his own father "informed" the way he raised Courtney, Leila and Nick. "I tend to put my dad a bit on a pedestal. He had his faults and all of his issues, but one of the things I always remember, and I try to do, is that he really was my greatest advocate. And I try to be that for my kids."

With his kids all grown up, Roker has plenty to be proud of: His eldest, Courtney, got married in 2021; his youngest, Nick, began his college career in 2022; and his second daughter, Leila, is carving out a media career of her own.

Deborah Roberts Instagram

The family of five recently celebrated Thanksgiving together in 2022 after Roker was hospitalized for blood clots in his leg and lungs. "So very #thankful to be able to be home for #thanksgiving #dinner with #family," the meteorologist wrote on Instagram alongside a family photo from the holiday. However, just one day after Roker was discharged, he was "rushed" back to the hospital, a source told PEOPLE.

On Nov. 30, Leila addressed her father's ongoing health issues, writing on her Instagram Story, "Thank you to all the wonderful friends and family who have reached out. We really appreciate it."

The following day, Roker's co-host Hoda Kotb delivered a message of thanks from Roker to Today show viewers, noting that he is back in the hospital but "in very good care."

"Al and his family want everybody to know how grateful they are for all the love, the support and the well wishes," Kotb added.

Here's everything to know about Roker's three kids, Courtney, Leila and Nick.

Courtney Roker, 35

Courtney Roker Laga Instagram

Roker shares daughter Courtney Melissa Roker with ex-wife Bell, whom he was married to from 1984 to 1994. Courtney was born in May 1987.

She currently works as a test kitchen manager and recipe developer for kitchen appliance brands Chefman and CHEF iQ. The 35-year-old often posts photos of her creations on Instagram and is a self-proclaimed "sushi lover."

Courtney got engaged to her now-husband Wesley Laga in April 2020. Following the engagement news, Roker revealed the sweet way Laga asked for his blessing before proposing to Courtney.

"He texted me to say, 'Can we get together? There is something I want to talk to you about,' " Roker recalled on the Today show, adding that he had an "inkling" about what Laga wanted to ask him. "We went to a local restaurant in our neighborhood that we've enjoyed, The Simone, and our friend Tina Vaughn — who is the owner there — gave us a corner table for some privacy. And he asked for my permission there."

Roker continued, "I told her fiancé, it's a lot of work. But anything worthwhile is."

Al Roker/Instagram

Courtney and Laga wed on June 4, 2021, at The Ashford Estate in New Jersey. Younger sister Leila served as Courtney's maid of honor and plenty of Roker's Today colleagues also attended the nuptials, including Kotb, Dylan Dreyer, Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones.

"Last night was beyond anything I could ever imagine," Courtney wrote on Instagram after the wedding. "I celebrated my love for my husband, and felt the love from everyone. My heart is filled with happiness and filled with joy. And I gotta say my husband's dance moves aint too shabby 😆. Now on to the honeymoon ❤️."

In March 2023, the couple announced that they're expecting their first child.

"A new adventure is about to begin ❤️🍼," Courtney captioned a sonogram video on Instagram. In the comments, Roker said: "Here we go!!! So very very happy!!!!! Going for Pop-Pop."

Following the big announcement, Roker revealed that he first learned about Courtney's pregnancy from his son-in-law's brother. "Wes' goofy brother accidentally dropped it in a text," he told Kotb during an episode of Today. "Thanks, Cory."

Leila Roker, 24

Leila Roker Instagram

Roker's second child and first with Roberts, Leila Ruth Roker, was born on Nov. 17, 1998. She grew up in New York City and attended LaGuardia High School. Leila continued her education at the American University of Paris, studying journalism and fine arts before graduating in May 2021.

At just 24 years old, Leila has quite an impressive résumé. She has interned at several fashion organizations including L'Oréal and Lela Rose and contributed to publications like Forbes and WWD.

In 2021, she headed to Japan to work as a production runner for Peacock at the Tokyo Summer Olympics. Of course, Roker was also in the host country covering the Olympics for NBC. "My middle girl, Leila, is a production runner for the primetime show on Peacock, and she's always wanted to do this," Roker told PEOPLE at the time.

While that might have been the first time Leila worked at the Olympics, she is no stranger to the Games. As a child, Leila and her siblings would join Roker and Roberts (who is an ABC News correspondent) on Olympic-related work trips.

Roker added of Leila, "She was 3 years old at the Salt Lake Olympics [in 2002] and she really was fascinated by the production runners."

Jim Spellman/WireImage

Leila has also used her platform to fight for equality and share her personal experiences as a woman of color. Following the death of George Floyd and the nationwide resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, Leila spoke to PEOPLE about fighting racism.

"It took me a couple of days to try and process what I was feeling," Leila recalled after learning of Floyd's death in 2020. "I later decided to write about it, and to provide a millennial point of view because I think there's a lot to say about the desensitization that's afflicting our generation. ... I wanted to let others know that it's okay feel sad. It's okay to say what's happening is terrible because human lives are violently being taken. I wanted to put into words what some of my Black friends have been discussing to also try and express to my non-Black friends: this is how we're feeling."

She also shared this advice with PEOPLE: "You can no longer surround yourself with people who think things are okay right now. It's more important than ever to hold people accountable if you want to see real change."

Nick Roker, 20

Deborah Roberts Instagram

Roker welcomed his third child, son Nicholas Roker, on July 18, 2002. Shortly after Nick's birth, Roker and Roberts began to notice developmental delays, and according to the Today anchor, Nick is "somewhere on the spectrum and maybe obsessive-compulsive."

Over the years, Roker has been vocal about the difficulties of raising a child with special needs. "We knew right from the beginning that [Nick] would be up against a whole different set of challenges," he told Guideposts magazine in 2019. "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."

Roker added, "I can't begin to take credit for who Nick is and who he might become. All sorts of specialists can tell you about limitations for this and that. Nick never got that message."

The meteorologist often boasts about Nick's many talents and accomplishments — of which the college freshman has plenty. He has a black belt in Taekwondo and began training for a marathon (although Roberts said he later "changed his mind.") When Nick was 16 years old he won two gold medals at the Special Olympics New York Summer Games for the 25-yard butterfly and 50-yard freestyle swim races.

"He's very goal-oriented and he's a great kid," Roker said of Nick in 2020. "As a lot of parents who have kids who have special needs [know], they can try your patience. Not that they mean to, or anything like that. I look at him and all that he does and I want to be a better person."

Deborah Roberts Instagram

The 20-year-old is also active in his local church, St. James, and delivered a sermon to the congregation ahead of his high school graduation in 2022. "Today, I am 19 years old and about to graduate high school," Nick said in a clip shared by dad Roker on Instagram. "I have a learning disability, and I have worked extra hard to get to this point. This last semester, I earned all A's on my report card."

He continued, "It feels really good, but my accomplishments haven't all been about school. They have also been about perseverance here at St. James. ...I have always felt loved and supported here."

Unsurprisingly, Roker was every bit the beaming dad and said he "could not be prouder" of his son.

Nick began his freshman year of college in August 2022. "Pride doesn't even begin to describe this day Nick Roker. The journey continues," wrote Roberts on the day Nick moved into his college dorm.

In March 2023, Roker shared two pictures of himself and Nick on Instagram. The first snap was from a 2014 vacation while the other was taken more recently. In the first photo, Roker is taller than Nick, but in the second, Nick towers over his famous dad.

"Really not much difference when Nick and I were here in 2014 and today, right?" Roker joked in the caption.