Al Roker revealed he is "heartbroken" after he returned home to some sad news following a break from Today.
The 70-year-old was missing from the morning show on July 17, 18, and 21, but it wasn't until Monday that he explained the reason for his absence.
Today absence
Al and his wife, Deborah Roberts, had taken some time off to celebrate their only son, Nick's 23rd birthday in Bermuda.
© InstagramTaking to Instagram. Al shared a carousel of photos from their idyllic family vacation, including plenty of the birthday boy.
Captioning the post, he wrote: "We had a great time celebrating Nick Roker's 23rd birthday in Bermuda this weekend."
© InstagramHe added: "The folks at the @thelorenhotels Pink Beach were lovely and had a great #oldskool meal at @tommoorestavern Can't wait to go back."
However, once he returned home, he was met with the news of The Cosby Show's Malcolm-Jamal Warner's sudden death on Sunday, July 20.
© InstagramMalcolm-Jamal Warner
Expressing his heartbreak over the actor's passing at the age of 54, Al shared a photo of Malcolm on Today alongside an emotional message.
"Just heartbroken hearing about the tragic loss of @malcolmjamalwar due to an accidental drowning in Costa Rica. He was such a lovely young man. I've known him since his Cosby Show days. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his Mom and his family," Al penned.
© InstagramMalcolm drowned off the coast of Costa Rica on Sunday while vacationing with his wife and daughter. His official cause of death was asphyxia, according to the Costa Rican National Police. He died near Cocles, a beach in Limon, after getting caught by a rip current.
According to the police, Malcolm was rescued by bystanders and taken to shore, where he received treatment, but he was declared dead by the Costa Rican Red Cross.
Malcolm's most famous role was Theo Huxtable on all eight seasons of The Cosby Show, which ran from 1985 to 1992.
© Getty ImagesHis on-screen father, Bill Cosby, said that Malcolm's death "reminded him of the same call he received when his son died".
Bill's only son, Ennis William Cosby, was murdered in 1997 during an attempted robbery on a Los Angeles freeway ramp as he tried to change a flat tire. He was just 27 years old.
Speaking to People, Bill's rep, Andrew Wyatt, said that Malcolm's death was "devastating".
© Getty Images"Malcolm was doing what he loved when he died — he was with his family," Andrew added. "He had just done a concert in Minnesota and called Mr. Cosby and talked about it. They spoke all the time. He said, 'Malcolm was changing humanity."
Andrew noted that Bill was finding comfort in his Cosby Show co-stars, and he was "on the phone with Phylicia Rashad [who played his onscreen wife Claire Huxtable] reminiscing about Malcolm" on Monday.
© Beyonce.comTributes for Malcolm poured in, with many Hollywood stars taking to social media to share their shock over his death, including Beyonce, who uploaded a photo of Malcolm to her website.
Alongside the photo, she wrote: "Rest in power, Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Thanks for being a big part of our shared television history. You will be missed."
