Savannah Guthrie’s colleagues have spent months standing beside her as she endures probably the most painful chapters of her life.
Because the disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, on February 1, the “Today” co-anchor has leaned on the support of her television family.
Now, fellow hosts Sheinelle Jones and Jenna Bush Hager are opening up concerning the emotional toll the ordeal has taken on everyone behind the scenes, revealing how the crisis has strengthened their bonds each on and off camera.
For Jones, rallying around Savannah Guthrie felt natural because she had already experienced that very same support firsthand.
Jones endured a devastating period after her husband, Uche Ojeh, was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2023. He later died in May 2025, leaving Jones to navigate immense grief while raising their three children.
When reflecting on Savannah’s ongoing ordeal, Jones explained why helping her friend was never a matter. “We’re going to rally around our sister,” Jones told Page Six. “She rallied around me. We all know the right way to try this here.”
She recalled one particularly meaningful moment during her husband’s illness when Savannah stepped in to assist. “There was in the future Savannah got here as much as the hospital and he or she said, ‘You have to get out of here …,’” the host recounted.
The 2 left the hospital briefly and frolicked together at a close-by restaurant.
“We went to this little restaurant across the corner from the hospital and had margaritas, and I said, ‘You were my oxygen for the day, and sometimes I never know where my oxygen’s going to come back from,’” Jones explained.
Savannah Absence Modified The Dynamic For Bush Hager And Jones
Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance occurred just weeks after Jones and Jenna Bush Hager launched “Jenna & Sheinelle,” the fourth hour of “Today.”
Under normal circumstances, the hosts may need spent more time specializing in the show’s debut. As a substitute, personal struggles took center stage.
“I didn’t have time to fret about my hair or whether I used to be being funny. Real life was happening,” Jones explained.
Despite the difficult circumstances, the journalist believes the experience deepened her partnership with Bush Hager. “It continues to bond us in ways we are able to’t even describe or make sense of,” she added.
The emotional honesty resonated with viewers. This system’s rankings have climbed significantly, rising 30 percent over the past yr and producing its strongest May audience share in 4 years.
For Jones and Bush Hager, nevertheless, the main target remained on supporting Savannah Guthrie slightly than celebrating rankings success.
Savannah Guthrie Remained At The Center Of Every day Conversations
Jenna Bush Hager admitted that it could have been not possible to disregard what Savannah was experiencing. “[Savannah’s] heart is broken and we love her,” she said.
Unlike traditional news programming, the hosts said their show depends heavily on personal connection and authenticity.
“What’s beautiful about our hour is that you may’t fake it. We don’t have the news to fall back on. Our conversations need to be emotional and connected to what we’re actually going through,” Bush Hager explained.
That meant discussing Savannah’s absence openly.
“On daily basis we were interested by her,” the 44-year-old noted, adding, “How could we not discuss it? It was what was happening off camera.”
The hosts deliberately avoided pretending the whole lot was high quality. Bush Hager said, ““We’re not going to act like things are OK in the event that they’re not. It was a extremely hard time because we like her a lot, and it still is.”
Savannah’s Struggles Never Made Her Co-Stars Think About Themselves
While some might ponder whether Nancy’s disappearance caused concern about their very own families, Bush Hager quickly dismissed the concept.
“No, because we’re anxious about one person only,” she said. The identical mindset guided the team during Jones’ family tragedy. “When Sheinelle was going through what she was going through, we weren’t pondering, ‘What if this happened to us?’” the journalist explained.
As a substitute, the main target remained on helping nevertheless possible. That spirit has also shaped the growing friendship between Sheinelle Jones and Jenna Bush Hager.
Before Jones officially accepted the co-hosting role, Bush Hager already knew she wanted her for the position.
“I all the time wanted Sheinelle,” she said, further explaining, “But I used to be waiting because she was going through something very personal.”
The partnership has since evolved into what Jones jokingly described as “dating survive air,” while Bush Hager compared the experience to learning to fly a plane while flying it.
Savannah Guthrie’s Faith Continues To Encourage Those Around Her
Faith has played a significant role in helping each women navigate difficult seasons, and Sheinelle Jones said Savannah Guthrie’s outlook has left an enduring impact on her.
While Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance stays unsolved and a $1 million reward is now being offered for information, Jones continues to attract strength from a conversation she had with Savannah.
“We’re each pretty spiritual,” she said. She recalled Savannah sharing a lesson from scripture about finding strength in the future at a time. Based on Jones, those words proved true throughout her own struggles.
“And also you get up within the morning, and also you’re going to feel like you possibly can’t get away from bed, but just know someway you’re going to get slightly manna each day,” she shared.
Jones also credited former “Today” co-anchor Hoda Kotb for encouraging her to tackle the show’s fourth-hour role. Months later, Jones believes Kotb was right.
In her words, “I really like with the ability to sit down, not know exactly where we’re going to go, and have the liberty to figure it out together.”