Key Details
- Savannah Guthrie made her first appearance at the Today studio following the suspected kidnapping of her mother.
- She expressed her eventual desire to rejoin the program, though a precise return date remains unconfirmed.
- Her colleagues described a poignant reunion, emphasizing Guthrie’s resilience and the extensive support she received.
Savannah Guthrie made her initial return to NBC’s Today studio on Thursday, March 5, since her mother, Nancy Guthrie, vanished on January 31 in what authorities suspect was an abduction.
As reported by the official Today show Instagram, Savannah experienced a touching reunion with her co-workers, during which she indicated her plans to resume her role on the enduring morning broadcast. Savannah has been absent from the show since her 84-year-old mother was reported missing on February 1. Veteran Today anchor Hoda Kotb has been substituting for Savannah.
“On March 5, [Savannah] visited Studio 1A at Rockefeller Center to convey her appreciation for all the backing her family has received since her mother’s disappearance,” the Instagram post stated. “The co-anchor conveyed her thanks to the TODAY team and crew for their immense love, prayers, and encouragement, and for “caring about my mom as much as I do.””
“I wanted you all to know that I am still standing, I still hold onto hope, and I am still myself,” Savannah conveyed to her colleagues. “While I’m unsure what version of me that will be, it will be. My faith remains strong. I still believe. And as my mother would often say, ‘Where else would I go?’”
Nancy has been missing since January 31, after law enforcement believes she was abducted from her Tucson, Arizona residence. Since that time, investigators have released doorbell camera footage depicting a masked individual and have issued a description of the potential abductor. No suspects or persons of interest have been publicly identified.
Savannah informed her co-workers of her “firm intention to come back,” though she noted that a specific date for her return is not yet established. “I’m not sure how I will return, but I also don’t know how I can’t. You are my family. And I am willing to try,” she declared.
Dylan Dreyer, Today‘s weather anchor, then led a communal prayer, stating, “We are here, united as a family, in a situation where we cannot comprehend why this is happening. It is not audacious to pray for the greatest miracles every single day.”
Sheinelle Jones and Jenna Bush Hager discussed the moving encounter during the fourth hour of Thursday’s Today broadcast. “We had the opportunity to see [Savannah] this morning, and in her characteristic graceful manner, she spoke to each of us, embracing every person in this room, including the crew,” Bush Hager recounted.
“She conveyed her desire to return to the program. Even though it feels like the most challenging thing to do, it’s also her sanctuary and where she feels such profound affection,” Bush Hager continued. “And she is cherished beyond measure here. So, we are overjoyed that she was here. I’m uncertain of her exact return to the show, but her presence was incredibly comforting.”
Jones added, “I am proud of Savannah, I support Savannah wholeheartedly, and I recognize the immense courage it must have taken for her to simply come in here and be among all of us.”
Today, Weekdays, 7a.m./6c, NBC