Al Roker & Dave Coulier Have Emotional Moment on TODAY After ...

After exclusively announcing on TODAY that he has Stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Dave Coulier shared a touching moment with Al Roker in Studio 1A.

At the end of his interview with Hoda Kotb, the "Full House" star was approached by the TODAY weatherman, who has also had cancer, for a hug.

“We’re old buddies,” Coulier, 65, said. “There’s a lot of love in this room.” Afterward, Al reflected on the moment on Instagram.

"I’ve always liked @dcoulier but after yesterday, it has grown to a love and respect. His sharing of his cancer diagnosis with humor, optimism and honesty is so beautiful. Love you, sir," Al wrote alongside a series of pictures of Coulier on the show.

Al was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2020 and underwent surgery to remove his prostate and nearby lymph nodes. Following surgery, he had no evidence of disease.

“It was this great relief,” Al said on TODAY at the time. “For a first start, this is terrific news. I’m going to be up for — and a lot of people who live with cancer — up for lifelong testing to make sure that this doesn’t come back.”

More recently, Coulier was diagnosed Stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He first noticed symptoms, which started with a cold, a little over a month ago.

“It’s a very aggressive type of lymphoma, and it happened very quickly,” he told Hoda on TODAY on Nov. 13. “The onset of this growing lymphoma in my groin area was very quick. So, I said, ‘Something’s not right. I have a golf ball down here.’”

He visited his doctor, who ordered a variety of tests and removed the lump to take a biopsy of it. Soon after, the actor learned it was cancer. While he’s grappling with tough emotions, his prognosis is positive.

“(It) should be total remission ... fingers-crossed,” he said. “I’m treating this as a journey.” 

Since his diagnosis, Coulier has felt moved to raise awareness of the importance of cancer screening.

“If I can help someone who’s watching today get an early screening — a breast exam, a colonoscopy, a prostate exam — go do it,” he said. “For me, early detection meant everything.”

Al also shared a similar message following his cancer diagnosis.

“I was going to put off my annual checkup, decided back in September, let me just get this done,” Al said on TODAY in 2021. “And if I hadn’t, (it) would not have detected the prostate cancer, which was very aggressive.”

“My outlook and outcome might have been completely different, so I cannot stress enough to people, go out there and get your checkup, make sure you get checked,” he added.

Meghan Holohan

Meghan Holohan is a digital health reporter for TODAY.com and covers patient-centered stories, women’s health, disability and rare diseases.