diff --git a/includes/db.php b/includes/db.php
index 5bd5ace78..5a84b19ed 100644
--- a/includes/db.php
+++ b/includes/db.php
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ public function insert( $recordarr ) {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		$fields = array( 'object_id', 'author', 'created', 'summary', 'parent', 'visibility', 'ip' );
+		$fields = array( 'object_id', 'author', 'author_role', 'created', 'summary', 'parent', 'visibility', 'ip' );
 		$data   = array_intersect_key( $recordarr, array_flip( $fields ) );
 		$data   = array_filter( $data );
 
diff --git a/includes/list-table.php b/includes/list-table.php
index c644b1368..bb1a2c0d2 100644
--- a/includes/list-table.php
+++ b/includes/list-table.php
@@ -215,30 +215,59 @@ function column_default( $item, $column_name ) {
 				break;
 
 			case 'author' :
-				$user = get_user_by( 'id', $item->author );
+				$user        = get_user_by( 'id', $item->author );
+				$author_meta = wp_stream_get_meta( $item->ID, 'author_meta', true );
+
+				if ( ! $user && ! is_array( $author_meta ) ) {
+					$out = __( 'N/A', 'stream' );
+					break;
+				}
+
+				global $wp_roles;
+				$author_ID    = isset( $item->author ) ? $item->author : 0;
+				$user_deleted = false;
+
+				/**
+				 * Tries to find a label for the record's author_role.
+				 *
+				 * If the author_role exists, use the label associated with it
+				 * Otherwise, if there is a user role label stored as Stream meta then use that
+				 * Otherwise, if the user exists, use the label associated with their current role
+				 * Otherwise, use the role slug as the label
+				 */
+				if ( ! empty( $item->author_role ) && isset( $wp_roles->role_names[ $item->author_role ] ) ) {
+					$author_role = $wp_roles->role_names[ $item->author_role ];
+				} elseif ( ! empty( $author_meta['user_role_label'] ) ) {
+					$author_role = $author_meta['user_role_label'];
+				} elseif ( isset( $user->roles[0] ) && isset( $wp_roles->role_names[ $user->roles[0] ] ) ) {
+					$author_role = $wp_roles->role_names[ $user->roles[0] ];
+				} else {
+					$author_role = $item->author_role;
+				}
+
 				if ( $user ) {
-					global $wp_roles;
-
-					$author_ID   = isset( $user->ID ) ? $user->ID : 0;
-					$author_name = isset( $user->display_name ) ? $user->display_name : null;
-					$author_role = isset( $user->roles[0] ) ? $wp_roles->role_names[ $user->roles[0] ] : null;
-
-					$out = sprintf(
-						'<a href="%s">%s <span>%s</span></a><br /><small>%s</small>',
-						add_query_arg(
-							array(
-								'page'   => WP_Stream_Admin::RECORDS_PAGE_SLUG,
-								'author' => absint( $author_ID ),
-							),
-							admin_url( WP_Stream_Admin::ADMIN_PARENT_PAGE )
-						),
-						get_avatar( $author_ID, 40 ),
-						$author_name,
-						$author_role
-					);
+					$author_name   = isset( $user->display_name ) ? $user->display_name : $user->user_login;
+					$author_avatar = get_avatar( $author_ID, 40 );
 				} else {
-					$out = __( 'N/A', 'stream' );
+					$user_deleted  = true;
+					$author_name   = ! empty( $author_meta['display_name'] ) ? $author_meta['display_name'] : $author_meta['user_login'];
+					$author_avatar = get_avatar( $author_meta['user_email'], 40 );
 				}
+
+				$out = sprintf(
+					'<a href="%s">%s <span>%s</span></a>%s%s',
+					add_query_arg(
+						array(
+							'page'   => WP_Stream_Admin::RECORDS_PAGE_SLUG,
+							'author' => absint( $author_ID ),
+						),
+						admin_url( WP_Stream_Admin::ADMIN_PARENT_PAGE )
+					),
+					$author_avatar,
+					$author_name,
+					$user_deleted ? sprintf( '<br /><small class="deleted">%s</small>', esc_html__( 'Deleted User', 'stream' ) ) : '',
+					$author_role ? sprintf( '<br /><small>%s</small>', $author_role ) : ''
+				);
 				break;
 
 			case 'connector':
diff --git a/includes/log.php b/includes/log.php
index 7e6596bd9..518cdb6b5 100644
--- a/includes/log.php
+++ b/includes/log.php
@@ -61,10 +61,26 @@ public static function get_instance() {
 	 * @return int
 	 */
 	public function log( $connector, $message, $args, $object_id, $contexts, $user_id = null ) {
+		global $wpdb;
+
 		if ( is_null( $user_id ) ) {
 			$user_id = get_current_user_id();
 		}
 
+		$user  = new WP_User( $user_id );
+		$roles = get_option( $wpdb->get_blog_prefix() . 'user_roles' );
+
+		if ( ! isset( $args['author_meta'] ) ) {
+			$args['author_meta'] = maybe_serialize(
+				array(
+					'user_email'      => $user->user_email,
+					'display_name'    => $user->display_name,
+					'user_login'      => $user->user_login,
+					'user_role_label' => $roles[ $user->roles[0] ]['name'],
+				)
+			);
+		}
+
 		// Remove meta with null values from being logged
 		$meta = array_filter(
 			$args,
@@ -74,15 +90,16 @@ function ( $var ) {
 		);
 
 		$recordarr = array(
-			'object_id' => $object_id,
-			'author'    => $user_id,
-			'created'   => current_time( 'mysql', 1 ),
-			'summary'   => vsprintf( $message, $args ),
-			'parent'    => self::$instance->prev_record,
-			'connector' => $connector,
-			'contexts'  => $contexts,
-			'meta'      => $meta,
-			'ip'        => wp_stream_filter_input( INPUT_SERVER, 'REMOTE_ADDR', FILTER_VALIDATE_IP ),
+			'object_id'   => $object_id,
+			'author'      => $user_id,
+			'author_role' => $user->roles[0],
+			'created'     => current_time( 'mysql', 1 ),
+			'summary'     => vsprintf( $message, $args ),
+			'parent'      => self::$instance->prev_record,
+			'connector'   => $connector,
+			'contexts'    => $contexts,
+			'meta'        => $meta,
+			'ip'          => wp_stream_filter_input( INPUT_SERVER, 'REMOTE_ADDR', FILTER_VALIDATE_IP ),
 		);
 
 		$record_id = WP_Stream_DB::get_instance()->insert( $recordarr );
diff --git a/includes/query.php b/includes/query.php
index 04dedf735..e46a4b103 100644
--- a/includes/query.php
+++ b/includes/query.php
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ public function query( $args ) {
 			'ip'                    => null,
 			// Author param
 			'author'                => null,
+			'author_role'           => null,
 			// Date-based filters
 			'date'                  => null,
 			'date_from'             => null,
diff --git a/ui/admin.css b/ui/admin.css
index 6eaf783e8..51c07a57e 100644
--- a/ui/admin.css
+++ b/ui/admin.css
@@ -173,6 +173,11 @@
 	margin-top: 1px;
 }
 
+.toplevel_page_wp_stream .column-author .deleted {
+	font-style: italic;
+	color: #aaa;
+}
+
 .toplevel_page_wp_stream .filter-date-range {
 	margin-top: -1px;
 }