Though Matt Lauer and Al Roker didn’t speak for a while after he was fired from The Today Show, that seems to be changing, as of Roker’s cancer diagnosis. Roker released a statement right after Lauer’s firing, but it wasn’t until two years after the scandal first broke that the pair spoke again, albeit through a secondary source. In a 2019 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Roker wished his former friend well. “I’m sure he’s doing well. I don’t really talk about that much but we wish him well,” he told host Katie Krause.
There wasn’t much to learn about their relationship until recently, after Roker revealed his battle with prostate cancer, per OK! Magazine. “It’s impossible to overstate how close friends Al and Matt were,” a source told the outlet, calling theirs “the most genuine relationship on The Today Show.” According to OK! Magazine, Roker thanked all those who have supported him during this hard time, including his old pal Lauer. A close friend of the star’s told OK! Magazine that Roker does not have many true friends in the industry, and that having Lauer there for him means a lot. “Al is scared, and life is short. He misses Matt and doesn’t have many real friends,” the source said. “Matt has been there for him over the last few days in ways other so-called TV friends haven’t.”
