Craig Melvin is a familiar face to viewers across the country, delivering the news each morning on The Today Show. But before stepping into the spotlight as an NBC anchor, Melvin faced personal challenges – most notably his father, Lawrence Melvin’s, battle with addiction.
The Today Show host opened up about his relationship with his father in a new interview with Garden and Gun. Craig shared details about his once-strained relationship with his father, Lawrence, and how those experiences ultimately helped shape him into a more empathetic and insightful journalist.
"We’re all broken in some way," he admitted. "Some people are better at masking it than others, but we’re all just walking around broken."
In 2018, following a family-led intervention, Lawrence Melvin entered treatment for alcoholism – a turning point that led to lasting sobriety. Since then, he’s been fully present in the lives of his wife, children, and grandchildren for the first time. "You can’t undo the things you missed out on," Lawrence once shared with his son, Craig. "You just have to try to better yourself, to do better."
Craig shared his thoughtful approach to storytelling – one rooted in authenticity and empathy – which has been key to building a strong bond with his viewers. "I’ve always gone out of my way – deliberately – to make sure that all relevant voices get heard," he explained.
"And I think there’s value in that. I think one of the reasons people don’t trust us as much as they did when we were growing up is because we kind of stopped doing that."
However, the news anchor admitted that he is far from perfect. "I’m a work in progress and I’ll never be the person that most people think that I am," he said.
Back in January, Craig honoured his parents when he earned his new job at Studio 1A. "They believed in me long before anyone else," Craig told People "with tear in his eyes" of his parents Betty Jo and Lawrence. "I didn’t fully appreciate how much they had sacrificed over the years."
"Without them and the sacrifices they made when I was a kid, I’m not here," he said.
Craig's parents were also on The Today Show set on January 13 for his first day, with the pair raising a glass of champagne to their son alongside his anchor, Savannah Guthrie.
"I have butterflies in my stomach today. He deserves this. I love you," said Betty-Jo.