Bryant Gumbel, former Today host and Emmy winner, was rushed to a local hospital on Monday night around 9 p.m. due to a "medical emergency", after being escorted out of his Manhattan apartment on a gurney by first responders, as per TMZ. According to the outlet, Bryant is "still getting treatment" in hospital for an unknown condition, with a family member revealing that he was "okay". No further details about his condition are known at this time. The 77-year-old hosted the Today show from 1982 until 1997, becoming one of the show's most beloved stars.
He co-hosted the morning show alongside Jane Pauley and Katie Couric before joining CBS in 1997 to anchor The Early Show. He began hosting HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel in 1995, which earned him several Emmy Awards thanks to the show's incredible investigative reporting. The series wrapped in December 2023 after an almost three-decade run.
Speaking about his time on the Today show, Bryant revealed that he was "not a very popular choice" amongst viewers when he first joined the team. "The issues were twofold. Number one, that a lot of people – it seems funny now – took exception to a Black guy sitting next to a white woman. And a lot of people took exception to the idea of a 'sports guy' being in charge of a news program," he told the Television Academy in 2015.
Bryant battled lung cancer in 2009 and had to get part of his lung removed in the recovery process, which he revealed on Live with Regis and Kelly in 2009. "It's nothing to hide from," he explained. "They opened up my chest, they took a malignant tumor, and they took part of my lung, and they took some other goodies."
"And the pathology on most of the stuff had been benign, but enough aggressive cells had escaped the tumor that it warranted some treatment, and I went through that, and it's done now," he continued. His surgery had taken place two months before announcing it on the show, and not even the staff at Real Sports were aware of his private battle at the time.
© Getty ImagesThe father of two shared an update with People later that year, explaining that he was "still doing well" and that "Doctors tell me I'm free and clear, so I hope for better times." Bryant tragically lost his older brother, Greg Gumbel, in December 2024 after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer.
© NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via GeThe 78-year-old was a respected NFL broadcaster and host of March Madness. Greg's family announced his death in a statement, sharing: "It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our beloved husband and father, Greg Gumbel. He passed away peacefully surrounded by much love after a courageous battle with cancer."
© Mike Coppola"Greg approached his illness like one would expect he would, with stoicism, grace, and positivity," it continued. "He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication to over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcast industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten." He was survived by his wife, Marcy, and his daughter, Michelle.
