It’s been three months since the TODAY show host Savannah Guthrie’s 84 year-old mother Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped from her home in Tucson, Arizona. Sadly, no trace of Nancy has been found, and she remains missing at this time.
Now, insiders are revealing that Savannah has been breaking down in tears behind the scenes on the TODAY show set as the search for her mother continues.
Savannah’s ‘Emotional’ Moments On Set
Though Savannah, 54, has appeared both poised and professional since she returned to TODAY on April 6, sources say that she has been struggling behind the scenes.
“She’s gotten emotional between commercial breaks,” an insider told Page Six. This source added that Savannah has been able to quickly compose herself before cameras start rolling again.
“Sometimes a fan will say something sweet to her, whether that is a guest or a sign from a fan outside that makes her feel touched,” the insider continued. Referring to Savannah’s emotions, the source simply said, “It’s to be expected.”
A second insider revealed that “everyone” has been marveling at the “strength and bravery” that Savannah brings to the TODAY set each day as her mother remains missing.
“It’s never going to be ‘business as usual’ for her,” this source explained. “But it’s important to her to put one foot in front of the other and keep going.”
The insider went on to say that the TODAY cast and staff has been supportive of Savannah during this difficult time. She’s reportedly been leaning on her TODAY co-host Jenna Bush Hager in particular since returning to the show.
“Jenna Bush is a source of comfort to her,” the source said. “She leans on Jenna a lot.”
Nancy’s Abduction
Sadly, this comes after a nightmarish few months for Savannah and her family. Indeed, her mother Nancy was shockingly abducted from her Tucson, Arizona home in the middle of the night over three months ago.
Nancy was last seen on the night of Saturday, January 31. That evening, she had dinner with her daughter Annie and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni. They dropped her off at home afterwards at around 9:45pm, and she tragically hasn’t been seen since.
A masked intruder was captured on Nancy’s doorbell ring camera in the early hours of February 1. He managed to cover the camera with some plants before moving forward with the kidnapping.
The masked man was seen on the doorbell ring camera prior to the night Nancy was taken. This indicates that he may have been casing out her home.
No trace of Nancy has been found, and the desperate search for her continues.
Savannah Returns To TODAY
Savannah bravely returned to the TODAY show on April 6. She’d spent the previous two months in Tucson desperately trying to find her mother, to no avail. Finally, Savannah decided that she needed to get back to both her job and her family, which includes her husband and two young children.
“I will not fall apart,” Savannah, 54, defiantly told her former TODAY colleague Hoda Kotb just before her return. “I will not let whoever did this take my children’s mother from them, I will not let them take my joy.”
“They will not take my sister’s joy, they will not take my brother’s joy,” she continued. “They will not take our love, they will not take our faith. But our anguish is real. We need help. We need someone to tell the truth.”
Given everything that Savannah and her family have been through over the past few months, we can certainly understand why she’s having emotional moments behind the scenes on the TODAY show set. Please join us in saying a prayer for Savannah, and for the return of Nancy Guthrie.