For the past week, “Today” star Savannah Guthrie has been stuck in a living hell during the kidnapping of her elderly mother, Nancy.
Instead of being in her permanent position in Studio 1A at NBC’s Big Apple headquarters, Savannah, 54, is holed up at her sister Annie’s home in Tucson, Arizona, waiting for news of her mother. The mother was kidnapped from her home in the middle of the night and has now been missing for seven days.
Savannah, described by those who know her as the “rock” of the “Today” show, has kept in touch with her co-stars throughout the harrowing ordeal.
In fact, she’s so close with her co-workers that former co-anchor Hoda Kotb had to skip hosting the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, in favor of a friend.
Mr. Kotub, 61, had been scheduled to help direct NBC’s coverage, but is currently in the United States, a person familiar with the matter confirmed.
Kotb (Guthrie’s Today co-anchor from 2018 to 2025), who made an unexpected return to the show on Friday, joined Craig Melvin, Shainelle Jones and Carson Daly for a segment about the outpouring of support for the Guthrie family.
“All of this is breaking my heart, but I’m glad to be sitting here with you,” Kotb began. “It’s family!” Jones interjected.
“I was wandering around thinking, ‘Where do I go?’ And I picture Savannah sitting there,” a visibly emotional Kotb added, gesturing toward the Today desk.
Attending a vigil earlier this week at Guthrie’s Church of the Good Shepherd in Manhattan, Kotb acknowledged that he felt “powerless.”
“I look at us and think: Who was in the hospital room first when (daughter) Hope got sick? Savannah. Who jumped on the plane when (Daly’s) parents (died)? Savannah. Who was sitting by (Jones’ late husband) Uche? What about when (Melvin’s) brother died?”
“They say love is patient and love is kind. We will be patient and pray. That is all we can do.”
We are told that the savannah is truly the connective tissue between all ‘today’ hosts. Just a few weeks ago, in an emotional interview with Page Six, Sheinelle revealed how a friend “saved” her and stood by her husband, Uche Ojie, while he was battling a malignant brain tumor.
She is also godmother to Jenna Bush Hager’s 7-year-old son, Hal, and is close to Melvin’s mother, Betty.
The presenters are united by their faith. When Savannah, who is said to “set the tone” for the show, published her best-selling book, “What God Does in the Lord: Thoughts on Seeking and Finding God’s Love Everywhere,” the crowded launch party in February 2024, attended not only by her colleagues but also by news stars from rival networks such as CNN, was proof of how beloved she was.
“I’m not writing this book from the top of a mountain of wisdom, and now I’m sharing it with the world,” she told Today.
“No, I’m still here and I’m still struggling. I’m still here and I’m disappointed in myself. I’m still here and I need faith, I need grace, I need mercy, I need love. That’s why I wrote this book, because I’m the person who needs to read it.”
Savannah just returned to “Today” on Jan. 26 after undergoing vocal cord surgery to remove a polyp, and part of her recovery included two weeks of complete vocal rest.
She flew to Arizona with her husband, Mike Feldman, as soon as she was informed of her 84-year-old mother’s disappearance last Sunday.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Nancy went missing from her secluded home in the Catalina Foothills north of Tucson, Arizona, on Sunday afternoon after failing to show up for church.
She was last seen around 9:45 p.m. Saturday night, when her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, gave her a ride home after having dinner with him and Annie.
Despite a storm of publicity across the country and both local police and federal authorities launching investigations, nothing has been publicly disclosed so far that could lead to Nancy’s safe return.
Investigators are focusing on a 25-minute period from 1:47 a.m. Sunday, when the 84-year-old woman’s doorbell camera disconnected, to 2:12 a.m., when software data recorded her cell phone movements.
According to Nanos, police are also taking seriously a chilling ransom note demanding Bitcoin that was sent to an Arizona news station earlier this week. It contained details about Nancy’s home and what she was wearing when she disappeared Saturday night.
Savannah appeared devastated on Wednesday as she read out a statement to Nancy’s alleged abductors, pleading for the safe return of her mother.
Savannah said, sitting between her siblings, her sister Annie, who is a poet, and her brother, Camron, a former fighter pilot.
“She’s funny, she’s energetic, she’s smart. She has grandchildren who adore her and crowd around her to give her kisses and hugs.”
Savannah tearfully added, “Our mother is our heart and home. She is 84 years old. Her health, her heart is fragile. She lives in constant pain. She has no medicine. She needs it to live and not to suffer.”
“We have also heard reports in the media about the ransom letter. We are doing everything we can as a family. We are ready for the talks.”
“Mom, if you are listening to this, you are a strong woman. You are God’s precious daughter, Nancy. We believe and know that He is with you in this valley,” she said.
“We will not rest. Your children will not rest until we are together again. We will speak to you every moment and pray without ceasing. We love you, Mom,” Savannah closed before Annie and Camron repeated her last words.
One of the three reported ransom notes had a deadline of 5pm on Thursday, and in a video statement posted near the deadline, Kamron asked “anyone who is holding the mother” to speak up, saying the family wanted to talk and was “waiting to hear from them.”
We hear that all the Today participants were “upset” and some staffers even held a prayer circle.
Sheinelle, 47, has been hosting Savannah’s main show for the past few days and will continue to fill in for her. Meanwhile, Craig, 46, who was scheduled to host Olympic Late Night from Italy, is in New York.
Just a few weeks ago, Sheinelle, who only returned to work full-time last month, told Page Six how Savannah was by her side while her late husband, Uche, was in hospice.
“You know what saved me?” “At first, I feel like I was in a metaphorical free fall. One day Savannah came to the hospital and I was like, ‘Get out of here.’
“So we went to this little restaurant around the corner from the hospital and had margaritas. And I said, ‘You’ve been like the oxygen of my day by being here today.’ And we’re both very spiritual. And she talked about a Bible verse about manna from heaven…and she said, ‘I believe that you’re going to get a little bit of manna every day, even if you don’t know when you’re going to get it.’
Uche passed away last May, leaving Sheinelle a single mother with three children.
She recalled that Savannah, who lost her father Charles when she was 16, also gave her advice on how to care for her children, telling her, “I remember when your mom did this, so maybe you should too.”
“And there were days when I took her advice and went home and talked to my kids about what I remember their mom doing,” Sheinelle said. “And I called her back and said, ‘Oh my god, it worked.’ And I think she found purpose in it because she remembers what it was like.”
Industry insiders pointed out how security for prominent media personalities has been tightened across all networks. CBS’ new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, has always had a top team of security personnel around her.
Nancy Guthrie frequently appeared on her daughter’s show. The source added, “The security industry is going to grow explosively from now on. It’s not just taking care of stars at home, but also taking care of their relatives.”
NBC also increased security for the “Today” stars, posting police outside the studio, Page Six reported.
