Today Show

The passenger who landed a plane after the pilot lost consciousness says he was "calm and collected" ... in no small part because he was about to become a father.

Darren Harrison spoke to Savannah Guthrie on "Today" ... and explained with all the buttons and gadgets on the control panel, it all came down to common sense.

The emergency was even more harrowing than first reported. The 39-year-old said after the pilot became incapacitated, the Cessna began to nose-dive at a high rate of speed.

Harrison was cool as a cucumber, saying, “I knew if I didn’t react, then we would die."

As he put it ... “I was pretty calm and collected the whole time because I knew it was a life or death situation. Either you do what you have to do to control the situation or you’re gonna die.”

Harrison, who works at a flooring company, said his wife, Britney, who was 7-months pregnant with their unborn daughter, was his inspiration. He also said there was an element of divine intervention, telling Guthrie “the hand of God was on that plane."

As he said, “I was climbing to the front and that plane was in a dive. I was just looking going, ‘I can’t die today. Britney’s pregnant, I’ve got a baby on the way — not today. Today’s not my day."

As we reported, Harrison contacted the tower operator who help guide him down to the runway, where he made a perfect landing ... just incredible.

Selma Blair has struggled her whole life, with pain, alcoholism and now fighting through a battle with MS ... all topics covered in her new memoir.

Blair sat down with Savannah Guthrie Wednesday for an extremely candid interview with "Today." The actor's memoir, 'Mean Baby' talks about her entire life, Blair told Guthrie, "My first [time] drunk [was] when I was 7. I had my first drinks much younger."

Blair says even though she was young, she felt alcohol was a comfort ... and wonders if the physical pains she would feel throughout her life were early signs of MS.

According to "Today," Blair writes in her memoir, "Doctors thought I had leukemia. I didn't, but it was a constant high fever. … The ailments as a kid connected. I do know for sure I had it by the age of 23. It was definitely there for so long.”

The good news ... Blair tells Savannah she hasn't had a drink since a scary incident in 2016 when she lost consciousness on a plane with her 4-year-old son. She's also undergone chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant in an effort to help manage her MS.

Prince Harry says all is well between him and his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, but it's quite clear he isn't cool with his brother, William and his dad ... evidenced in a new interview.

The Duke of Sussex opened up with Hoda Kotb on 'Today' during his visit to the Netherlands for the Invictus Games -- and whereas he was cagey with the BBC, PH actually spilled the tea to NBC ... giving details about his meeting with QE2 and where things stand elsewhere.

Watch ... Harry says the face-to-face with grandma -- for which his wife, Meghan Markle, was also present -- went well ... the 3 of them, it seems, had a good time while catching up.

But, Harry also made eye-opening revelations -- including the fact that the UK doesn't feel like home to him, and more importantly ... he isn't sure he'll attend Liz's 96th birthday.

On the sibling front ... Hoda asked straight up whether PH misses his bro and his dad, Charles, but Harry completely dodges the question -- saying he misses his own family, and noting that his focus at the moment was there for the Games.

Later in the same interview, Hoda again tried getting Harry to address Will by invoking their late mother, Princess Diana, and once more ... he made it seem like he and his brother led different lives now and he very much so wanted to differentiate between himself and PW.

He says he feels his mom's spirit with him right now more than ever before ... apparently alluding to the fact that his life is no longer in England. Very interesting choice of words.

The parents of soccer star Katie Meyer say they fear a possible punishment from Stanford could have led to their daughter's suicide earlier this week.

In an interview with NBC's "Today" show on Friday, Steven and Gina Meyer say their daughter was facing potential discipline over an alleged incident involving her and one of her Cardinal teammates.

The two parents say over the last few weeks Katie had been receiving letters from the school over it all ... and in the past few days, she had gotten "kind of the final letter that there was going to be a trial or some kind of something."

Gina speculated it all might have led to the Stanford goalie's death on Tuesday.

"This is the only thing that we can come up with that triggered something," Gina said.

The school declined to comment on the situation ... telling "Today" in a statement, "We are not able to share information about confidential student disciplinary matters."

Gina and Steven said they've been devastated and heartbroken since Katie was found on Tuesday ... explaining, "the last couple days are a parents' worst nightmare."

Katie was just 22 years old.

Matt Hutchins, husband of Halyna Hutchins, shook his head in disgust as he recounted how he felt when he heard Alec Baldwin talk about how he was grief-stricken over Halyna's death but accepted no responsibility.

Matt begs to differ, telling Hoda Kotb on "Today" it was absurd for the person who fired the bullet that killed his wife was blameless, and the way Baldwin described his pain further angered Matt.

He also explained how he told his 9-year-old son that his mother was dead. He said, "I just had to be very direct and blunt," said Hutchins... "because going to pick him up and go to the airport to go to Santa Fe, I didn’t want him to think that we were going to be seeing her and having fun together, and getting his hopes up." He then describes how they cried together.

As for the moment when they landed in Santa Fe and were embraced by Baldwin, Matt says, "I feel like to understand that moment, you have to remember the shock we were in. I spoke with Mr. Baldwin and was just looking for a way through the storm."

Baldwin has maintained he did not pull the trigger, and there seems to be divided thought on whether such a gun can fire with only the hammer or whether the trigger is required.

Matt says there were numerous safety lapses and says there were "multiple responsible parties."

Matt and his son have filed against Baldwin and many others ... even asking for punitive damages for alleged reckless conduct that led to Halyna's death.

Alec Baldwin might be regretting that ABC interview he did right about now -- because it seems to have, in part, triggered Halyna Hutchins' husband's wrath.

Matt Hutchins sat down for an interview with NBC's "Today" -- talking to Hoda Kotb -- which will be aired later this week ... and right off the bat in a new teaser, he's saying Baldwin's televised recounting pissed him off.

He says hearing AB talk about her death so publicly, so soon and in so much detail made him "angry," and not just that ... but the fact he denied responsibility over her death also didn't sit well with Matt at all.

As his wrongful death lawsuit had already spelled out -- and as his attorneys articulated thereafter -- Matt says it again here ... the idea that the person who held the gun that claimed her life isn't at fault is utterly absurd in his mind.

So yes, he does seem to think Baldwin is mostly to blame here. However, Matt also makes this clear ... there were other issues besides gun safety that led to his wife being killed, and it sounds like he's gonna get into all of that with Hoda.

As we told you ... Matt is suing Alec, among several other parties, for negligent and reckless misconduct that resulted in wrongful death, as well as loss of consortium. He’s asking for unspecified damages.

It's been over two months since the Olympics, but Simone Biles says she's still dealing with the "twisties" ... adding that she's straight-up "scared to do gymnastics"

Biles was hit with the issue in Tokyo in July -- explaining to her followers at the time that a mental block was preventing her from controlling her body while doing her most famous mid-air stunts.

Biles pulled out of multiple events due to it all ... though most figured she'd be able to return back to normal after a break.

But, in an emotional interview Thursday morning with "Today" show host Hoda Kotb ... Biles said she still can't fly through the air like she used to.

"It's not the same," the 24-year-old said, fighting back tears. "To do something that I've done forever, and just not be able to do it because of everything I've gone through is really crazy because I love this sport so much. It's hard. I'm sorry."

She added, "I'm still scared to do gymnastics."

Biles has been performing in the Gold Over America Tour the past few weeks ... though she said she's kept her routines simple and has avoided any twisting.

The gymnastics legend, though, said she's sure her tricks will "come back" eventually ... telling Hoda in the meantime she's happy to "be a leader for the survivors."

"I'm happy to be a voice for them," Biles said. "We go through our own things. It's hard."

Katie Couric says she never saw the dark side of her former "Today" show co-host Matt Lauer, but she concedes there was gossip surrounding the now-infamous revelations.

Couric was pushing her memoir on "Today" Tuesday and went in hard on Lauer, saying she was devastated and disgusted when the news broke over allegations he was abusive toward women on the staff.

It's almost a mirror of Season 2 of "The Morning Show." Couric says Lauer was a great colleague and she never saw the other side of him. When Savannah Guthrie pressed, Couric acknowledged there were rumors floating around, but she felt it was none of her business.

She went on to say she has no relationship with Lauer and their friendship has fully deteriorated.

Clint Eastwood could see a LOT of green soon ... he's just been awarded nearly $6.1 million in his lawsuit against CBD retailers.

The legendary actor -- and the company Eastwood runs that owns rights to his likeness, Garrapata -- just scored a $6.1 million default judgment after the companies he sued failed to respond to his lawsuit.

You'll recall, Eastwood and Garrapata argued a Lithuanian CBD company falsely made it look like he endorsed their products and illegally tried to profit off his name, likeness, and goodwill. In addition to the damages, the CBD retailers were also permanently blocked from using Clint's name and likeness moving forward.

As we reported ... Clint sued in July 2020 after claiming several CBD retailers pimped their products by using fake interviews with him where he gushes over the weed merch.

The lawsuit claimed the CBD company made it look like Clint endorsed the CBD products on the "Today" show. The company took a photo of an actual interview Clint did on the show and flashed up words that appeared to be an endorsement.

Clint made it crystal clear in his pair of lawsuits -- he's never sat down with any of these companies and, under no circumstances, endorsed their products.

Monica Lewinsky says it's taken her a long time to get past her scandal with Bill Clinton, and while she's no longer harboring resentment ... she implies the former Prez still owes her an apology.

Lewinsky's story is set to take center stage again with the Tuesday night premiere of "American Crime Story: Impeachment," so she's understandably nervous ... but says she's also proud of the project because she worked as a producer on it.

It seems like the mini-series, airing on FX, will focus on telling Monica's side of the notorious American tale, and she provided a hint of what to expect when "Today" host Savannah Guthrie asked Monica if she has a message for Clinton

Monica says Bill should want to apologize for his actions, but watch ... she strongly insinuates he never has offered her one. The good news for Monica is she says she no longer needs it.

Willard Scott -- the iconic "TODAY" show weatherman who preceded the Al Roker era -- has died.

Al himself confirmed the news this weekend, taking to IG with an honorary post for Willard and writing ... "We lost a beloved member of our @todayshow family this morning. Willard Scott passed peacefully at the age of 87 surrounded by family, including his daughters Sally and Mary and his lovely wife, Paris."

AR adds, "He was truly my second dad and am where I am today because of his generous spirit. Willard was a man of his times, the ultimate broadcaster. There will never be anyone quite like him."

Willard started at "TODAY" in 1980, and became famous for his jovial anchoring -- be it during a weather segment, or any other special event he ended up hosting for NBC thereafter. The dude's antics were hilarious -- he'd dress up in crazy costumes, joke around like crazy on the air (and during MOTS interviews) ... and was just an overall hoot of a personality.

He's also perhaps best remembered for wishing Americans a Happy 100th Birthday in an ongoing Smucker's segment ... in which he'd feature different centennials who hit the milestone. Willard also hosted some of America's most memorable celebratory moments -- covering presidential inaugurations, holiday parades and parties, expos and more.

He was pretty much the Al Roker of his day, and did indeed pass on the baton when he retired from anchoring in the mid-to-late '90s. Still, they remained great friends ... and Al credits him as his mentor.

BTW, Willard also had quite the history in clowning around -- literally. He played the very first incarnation of Ronald McDonald in TV ads during the '60s, and even had a turn at playing Bozo the Clown too. Dude was just an all-around joy-spreader -- from start to finish.

He's survived by his wife, Paris Keena, and his children. Willard was 87.

The NYPD is doing its best to stop the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade from becoming a super spreader event -- cops are posting up around the parade route to make sure large crowds don't form.

The turkey day tradition is now a shortened parade stretched over 3 days, and with pre-taping going on Tuesday and Wednesday, police are busy standing guard for trouble and herding folks along.

As you can see, there's a ton of barricades set up on the blocked-off side streets around Macy's flagship store, where most of the pre-taping is going on ... and cops are holding the perimeter.

Police are making their presence known, but a high-ranking NYPD official tells TMZ the police detail for the parade has been slashed by 80 percent from last year, which is a huge cut. The reduction in force, we're told, is because the parade is much smaller.

We're told NYPD is not expecting any large crowds or any trouble, believing most people will be smart and shy away from gathering to watch pre-tapings ... but if people do come to watch, cops will educate them about crowd dangers in a pandemic and move them along.

So far, things seem to be running smoothly as Macy's tackles a new-look parade, which is essentially only the final section of the usual 2.5-mile route.

Honchos at Macy's tell us there haven't been any issues pre-taping floats, balloons, Santa Claus and performers on the side streets around the flagship department store ... thanks in part to the secure perimeters. Organizers didn't telegraph where they were filming, which also helped prevent crowds from forming.

Macy's says Thanksgiving Day will see a live show outside the flagship store anchored by Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker and Hoda Kotb during a shortened parade ... and we're told there will be a larger police presence.

Hoda Kotb says things are looking up for Al Roker in his battle with prostate cancer ... and she's got a message for fans who want to help out.

We got the "Today" host jogging through NYC Tuesday -- she says she's running for Al, BTW -- and asked for an update on his health. She'd just recently spoken to him, and was happy to report Al's in a great mood ahead of surgery this week to remove his prostate.

As you know ... Al revealed his cancer diagnosis on the air Friday, saying he learned about the diagnosis Sept. 30 and explaining why he's going to be taking time away from "Today" for surgery and recovery.

Hoda says Al feels things are "looking good" for him, but she had a message for all of his fans looking for a way to help.

It's great news Al's doing well, but we can't say as much for our photog. Watch the clip and one thing is obvious ... Hoda can teach our guy a thing or 2 about cardio.

Al Roker's sharing some scary personal medical news ... he's been diagnosed with prostate cancer, but he's taking aggressive steps to beat it.

The longtime "Today" host and meteorologist announced it Friday morning on the air, and said he's going to undergo surgery next week to have his prostate removed. Al said he learned about the diagnosis on September 30 but shared the news now to explain to viewers why he'll be taking off some time for the surgery and recovery.

Al called it a good-news-bad-news situation, saying, "Good news is we caught it early. Not great news is that it's a little aggressive, so I"m going to be taking some time off to take care of this."

Dr. Vincent Laudone will perform the procedure at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC, and said they decided removing the prostate was the better option over radiation.

66-year-old Roker says he hopes sharing the news will encourage Black men to get screened for a cancer that's very treatable if detected early. Al's been advocating for that since 2013, when he and co-anchor Craig Melvin got prostate exams live on "Today."

Matt Lauer is enjoying himself as a newly-single bachelor ... wining and dining his date and taking her for a ride on his $1.4 million floating escape that screams resilience.

The fired "Today" show host pulled out all the stops this week while on a date with a mystery brunette in Orient, NY, a picturesque town at the end of the North Fork of Long Island.

Check out these videos and pics of Matt and his mystery woman as they dine at Duryea's Orient Point. They're awfully chatty as they pick at a shared vegetable platter.

Things went well for Matt ... after an hour at their table, the two left the fancy restaurant and boarded his yacht, named "Resilient."

As you know ... Matt was canned from NBC in Nov. 2017 in the wake of sexual harassment allegations against him, and not long after his wife, Annette Roque, filed for divorce. He's now officially single.

Matt's on his best behavior here ... helping his date onto his expensive Hinckley T38 yacht before shoving off and taking the wheel as they head out into the beautiful blue waters for more summer fun. They even wore masks in public.

Hugh Downs -- a broadcasting legend with 60 years experience on "Today," "20/20" and 'The Tonight Show' -- has died.

Hugh died Wednesday at his home in Scottsdale, AZ ... according to his family, who released a statement Friday, saying his passing is not related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Hugh was one of TV's most familiar faces during his incredibly long and successful run as a broadcaster ... he co-anchored NBC's "Today" show from 1962 to 1971 and is most remembered for his 21 years as Barbara Walters' co-host on ABC's "20/20."

Downs was also known for his signature sign-off during his time at "20/20" ... ending the nightly program with this gem, "We're in touch, so you be in touch."

Hugh was on the tube for so long, at one point he held the record for most hours spent in front of a TV camera with a whopping 15,188 ... a long-standing record eventually topped by Regis Philbin.

While Hugh officially retired from "20/20" way back in 1999, he lent his smooth voice to a number of TV specials and documentary films during the 2000s.

Hugh was born in Akron, Ohio and he got his broadcasting start on radio in Detroit and Chicago before moving to TV in 1949 as an announcer on a classic children's puppet show called, "Kukla, Fran and Ollie."

Downs also served as the announcer for one of the earliest versions of NBC's "Tonight Show," working alongside Jack Paar in the late 1950s and early '60s.

He even launched one of the most popular daytime shows in the 1960s, "Concentration," a memory-matching game he hosted for over a decade.

Downs worked for PBS too, for much of the 1990s he was the host of the network's "Live From Lincoln Center" broadcasts.

Hugh was 99.

RIP