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Savannah Guthrie and Jenna Bush Hager ‘Very Sorry’ for Nudging Hoda Kotb Out of ‘Today’
Hoda Kotb was practically driven out of Today by Savannah Guthrie and Jenna Bush Hager, but now a source exclusively tells Closer her coanchors are terrified the beloved TV personality will become very powerful in her next chapter and turn on them.
“Savannah and Jenna nudged Hoda out, which is what a lot of people think, and were quite mean about it,” an insider reveals. “Now they realize it’s a bad look for them, and they’re frantically trying to repair the damage they caused.”
The 60-year-old journalist made her big announcement about leaving Today during the show’s September 26 episode. It’s since been reported that Hoda — who will leave the show in early 2025 but still remain part of the NBC family — was being asked to cut her multimillion-dollar salary and had to deal with difficult personalities behind the scenes.
“They were extremely bitchy towards Hoda in recent years — not inviting her to weekend playdates with their kids and dinners out — and they’re very sorry,” the source says of Savannah, 52, and Jenna, 42.
As Hoda’s early 2025 departure draws near, Savannah and Jenna are “trying to patch over the wounds with flattery and small tokens of their affection as they’re terrified Hoda could do a world of harm now that she’s out the door,” says the insider.
“Hoda has a lot of friends in broadcasting,” the source points out. “She has a sterling reputation, and they realize that now. It wouldn’t do Savannah and Jenna any good to appear selfish now.”
Earlier this month, a separate source told Closer that Hoda had not been gelling well with Savannah and Jenna, so she’s thrilled to be moving on.
After many years on air with NBC, Hoda has “done it on her terms,” said the source, “and has a lot to look forward to — even with the torture of working a few months’ notice.”
The best part about leaving Today, the insider said, is that Hoda “won’t be getting up at the crack of dawn, tiptoeing around Savannah, Jenna or other testy characters that were too much for her to stand towards the end.”
Plus, it has been revealed that Hoda has a lot to look forward to. “She’s got plenty of opportunities lined up,” the insider said. “The NBC bosses are desperate to keep her in the fold and ease her into a more serious anchor role for primetime specials.”
In an interview with People published October 11, Hoda also teased what’s next for her after her last day on Today.
“I have something that I am super excited about that’s in its infancy,” she revealed. “It’s a whole wellness situation, and I got lit up by that just from stuff I’ve been working on and doing on myself.”
Hoda then explained that she’s “learned to do a bunch of different things with breath works and what not through friends,” including Maria Shriver and more. “And I’ve been loving it.”
The journalist said that the project is still in the early stages of getting a “really good wellness app together and do wellness retreats and things like that.”
While her latest business venture is still “down the road,” Hoda said “it is something that I’m excited about exploring and seeing what’s out there.”
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