NBC Insider Exclusive

Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive show news, updates, and more!

Sign Up For Free to View
NBC Insider Late Night

Michael Strahan Talks His Daughter's Cancer Recovery: "It Was a Rough Year"

The Good Morning America Host also told Jimmy Fallon about his new grandson Onyx, born just days ago.

By Christopher Rudolph

It's always a good time when Michael Strahan stops by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon — and for his 20th visit to Studio 6B, he brought some good news.

How to Watch

Watch The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC weeknights at 11:35/10:35c and next day on Peacock

During his September 23 Tonight Show appearance, the Good Morning America anchor revealed a happy health update about his 19-year-old daughter Isabella. Isabella was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a rare type of brain cancer, last October.

"Isabella is great! She's cancer-free," Michael Strahan told Jimmy Fallon. "It was a rough year, but we got through it, and she's cancer-free. She's back in college."

Inspired by Isabella Strahan's journey, Fallon exclaimed, "She's unbelievable," adding that she was his "hero" and was "so strong and so cool."

"What she did is so strong,"  Fallon added. "Amazing."

RELATED: Simone Biles Noticed the Star Sitting with Taraji P. Henson at the Olympics—But Not Her

Isabella Strahan was diagnosed with cancer in October 2023

During a January 2024 interview on Good Morning America, Michael Strahan and Isabella Strahan revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer in October 2023.

“It’s been, like, two months of keeping it quiet, which is definitely difficult,” Isabella Strahan said. “I don’t wanna hide it anymore ‘cause it’s hard to always keep in.”

Michael Strahan gets interviewed by Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show Episode 1201

As NBC News previously reported, Isabella Strahan underwent surgery on October 27 — the day before her 19th birthday — followed by a month of rehabilitation.

"You learn that you’re probably not as strong as you thought you were when you have to really think about the real things. I realized that I need support from everybody," Michael Strahan said during his GMA interview.

"You think that I’m the athlete, the tough guy, you know... I can come and handle, I’m the father in the family. It is not about any of that. It doesn’t matter," he said.

RELATED: Zayn Malik Interrupted Jimmy Fallon's Monologue to Make an Important Announcement

Michael Strahan is now a proud grandfather to Onyx

In addition to Isabella Strahan being cancer free, the good news continues for the Strahan family, as the Fox NFL Sunday Host also revealed that he is now a proud grandfather. His eldest daughter, Tanita Strahan, gave birth to a baby boy named Onyx on Sunday, September 22.

"It's the most amazing feeling," Michael Strahan told Fallon. "I'm so happy for my daughter Tanita and her boyfriend."