Today Show host Craig Melvin has bravely shared his journey of reconciling with his estranged father in his new memoir Pops: Learning to Be a Son and a Father. The 42-year-old journalist opened up about growing up with an absentee father, Lawrence Melvin, who struggled with alcoholism until he got sober in his late 60s.
A Challenging Childhood
Craig, who grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, with his two brothers, Lawrence and Ryan, recalls a childhood where his mother, Betty Jo, showered them with love and support, but his father was largely absent. Lawrence worked the graveyard shift at a postal facility, and during the day, he was either sleeping or drinking. Craig vividly describes how his father’s absence affected him deeply, even earning his dad the nickname “Ghost” from his friends due to his non-existent presence in their lives.
In his book, Craig recounts painful memories, such as how his father failed to pick up his brother Ryan from school because he had been drinking. He also recalls how his friends’ teasing about his dad’s absence affected him, saying that he “wrote [his dad] off” and felt that his father was “there, but not there.”
The Turning Point
Craig shares that by the time he left for college, his relationship with his father was strained, and they were almost estranged. However, in 2018, Craig’s family staged an intervention, and Lawrence agreed to go to rehab in Georgia. It was there, at the rehab facility, that Craig’s relationship with his father began to heal. Craig recalls an emotional visit to his dad during which Lawrence gave him a letter—a letter that had been 40 years in the making. Craig admits that this moment remains one of the most significant and emotional experiences of his life.
A Changed Man
Three years later, Craig’s relationship with his father is “the best it’s ever been.” Lawrence, now sober, has become a doting grandfather to Craig’s children, seven-year-old Delano and four-year-old Sybil. Craig shares that seeing his father at soccer games, shooting hoops with Delano in the driveway, and bonding with his grandchildren is a stark contrast to the absentee father he once knew. In a Today segment, Craig admitted that seeing his father’s transformation left him questioning, “Who are you?”
The Book and Its Message
Craig reveals that his father was the first person to read his memoir, and he was incredibly nervous about it. “It was the most nervous I have ever been aside from when I proposed to my wife,” Craig says. Despite his nerves, Lawrence’s response was simple but meaningful: “It’s all there. It’s good, it’s good.”
One of the key motivations behind writing his book, Craig explains, was to show his children the complex journey of his relationship with his father. He wants them to understand that just because someone starts in a difficult place, it doesn’t mean they have to end there. “We’re capable of change. We’re capable of turning our lives around, even later in life,” he says.
Craig’s story is a powerful reminder that reconciliation and personal growth are possible at any stage of life. It’s also a heartfelt reflection on the strength of family bonds and the impact of second chances.
