On Monday, October 20, well known former TODAY anchor and sports commentator Bryant Gumbel was rushed to the hospital from his apartment in New York City. The TV host was reportedly hospitalized over a medical emergency, with TMZ the first to report the news, stating he was taken from his apartment after 9PM on a gurney. The publication reported that he remained in the hospital as of Tuesday afternoon, but a family member confirmed that he was "okay" while still receiving treatment.
There's been no word directly so far from Bryant, 77, or his team. He began his journey with TV in the 1970s when he was hired by NBC Sports, before being promoted to co-anchor of TODAY in 1982. His tenure continued until 1997, making him a household name and one of the most popular anchors to ever take the spot, and the third-longest running co-anchor of the NBC morning show.
© Getty ImagesHe cemented his TV legacy with the start of his critically acclaimed HBO investigative series Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel in 1995, continuing until 2023, establishing him as one of the defining sports commentators of his generation and even earning him a Peabody Award in 2012. Bryant has been married twice: to June Baranco from 1973 to 2001 (welcoming two children), and then to Hilary Quinlan since 2002.
Over his decades on the air, the anchor has been incredibly candid about certain milestones in his health journey. From once being injured so bad he required more than 60 facial surgeries, to making a grand commitment to his health and losing 55lbs, here's what Bryant has said about his health over the years…
Fitness journey
In 2003, Bryant shared that he'd made a greater commitment to his health, which resulted in him focusing on his diet and working with a personal trainer. It was reported that he'd lost as much as 55lbs during that time, impacted especially by leaving his regular morning show gig with TODAY.
© NBCUniversal via Getty Images"I feel better than I have in years, and I don't know if that's because I get up knowing I don't have to face that grind," he said at the time per the Chicago Tribune. "There's a lot more than just television to life."
Working through pain
In 2023, Real Sports finally came to a close after nearly three decades on the air with HBO, with Bryant reminiscing with The Hill, expressing his pride in never missing a single taping of the show. In fact, he mentioned doing so through "a divorce, two bouts with cancer, seven surgeries" and a notably "gruesome" facial injury that left him needing 68 stitches.
© Getty ImagesHe also candidly addressed the topic of age diminishing his ability to work, wrapping up Real Sports at age 75. "[Sports writer and commentator Frank Deford] used to tell me, 'I can still turn a phrase. I just can't do it as often as I used to,'" he recalled to The Hill as well.
Lung cancer battle
In 2009, while guest co-hosting Live! with Regis and Kelly, Bryant shocked the audience (and Kelly Ripa herself) by sharing: "Two months ago I had cancer surgery." By his own admission, the TV host was once a three-pack a day smoker, but had quit more than 30 years before receiving his cancer diagnosis, and had chosen to keep it private even from his Real Sports team.
© Getty Images"It's nothing to hide from," he continued. "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."
