TODAY’S Jenna Bush Hager has opened up about a time she felt a “little sad” with her co-host Hoda Kotb.
During Wednesday’s show, Hoda and Jenna discussed being brutally honest with people and the latter decided to come clean about something.
5
Today’s Jenna Bush Hager has opened up about a time she felt a ‘little sad’ with her co-host Hoda KotbCredit: TODAY
5
Mom-of-three Jenna broke down in tears during a conversation with Hoda on Wednesday’s showCredit: TODAY
Jenna, 41, began by saying: “Here’s the thing, the adverb ‘brutally,’ is inherently not that cool, it’s horrible. So why do we have to be brutal?
“Can we think of a new term? I don’t mind honesty. You love honesty?” Jenna then asked.
“I do, I like when someone tells me the truth,” Hoda, 58, replied.
“Because here’s the thing, if you don’t tell the truth… there was a time when I was feeling a little sad with you,” Jenna revealed.
“And I was holding it and holding it until I exploded, so if you can’t tell the truth, that would be horrible.”
“You’re always so honest, I think it’s such a good thing. I can’t believe you’re bringing up that thing,” Hoda then said, as Jenna asked: “Should I tell?”
“So, when Hoda’s daughter wasn’t feeling well, I just wasn’t there for her the way I wanted to be and I didn’t know how to be and I felt terrible about it but I didn’t know what to do,” Jenna admitted.
“So I just said it, I just said, ‘I feel like I haven’t been there for you.'”
“I still remember when you said that to me and it touched me deeply, and it meant everything to me that you said that and I know you, inside and out, you know what, life is like that,” Hoda responded.
The camera then cut back to Jenna crying as she blurted out: “God, what is happening to me? We went from brutally honest to weeping!”
A member of the Today crew then handed her a box of tissues as Jenna dabbed at her eyes.
Viewers were touched by the emotional moment and when a clip was shared on Twitter, they were quick to share their thoughts.
“What a lovely moment, and so relatable. It’s so hard to know how to be there for loved ones in hard situations, even if the thought is there!!” one person wrote.
Another said: “I’m BAWLING FRom you two,” while a third added: “Love their friendship!”
HODA’S HOPE
Hoda first disclosed her three-year-old daughter Hope had struggled with a medical crisis that landed her in the intensive care unit earlier this year.
She told viewers upon her return to work in April: “My youngest daughter Hope was in the ICU for a few days and in the hospital for a little more than a week and I’m so grateful she’s home.”
Hoda continued: “She is back home and I’ve been waiting for that day to come and we are watching her closely.
“I realize when your child is ill, the amount of gratitude you can have for people for who helped you out…
“I’m grateful for the doctors at Weill Cornell who are amazing and the nurses and I’m grateful to my family and friends like you who were there every single day.”
And just last week, she gave a brief update on Hope’s progress.
Hoda was ushering dear friend and co-host Al Roker into the Broadcasting + Cable Hall of Fame, when she told The U.S. Sun: “She’s doing better. She is on the mend, and we are taking it one step at a time.”
The U.S. Sun previously revealed that Hoda is only taking on necessary trips for work and attending exceedingly meaningful events.
An insider said that the TV star has otherwise scaled back on the extra speaking engagements that she normally would participate in as she focuses on her daughters.
One insider told The U.S. Sun that Hoda’s priorities underwent a major shift after her youngest daughter fell seriously ill, which took her away from her seat at Today for nearly three weeks.
“Hoda is a very hands-on mother and she doesn’t want to leave Today, but she has been reconfiguring her approach to work so that she is able to focus more on her daughters,” the source said.
Hoda has been retooling her workload after Hope’s health complications landed her in the ICU.
“When your child falls ill, it changes your life. She is looking to scale back on the ways she is working.”
The insider added: “She isn’t taking on the extra events and speeches that have been meaningful to her unless they are absolutely necessary or exceedingly special.”
5
The TV host admitted that she didn’t feel like she had been there for Hoda when her daughter was unwellCredit: Today
5
Mom-of-two Hoda said that Jenna’s words had touched her ‘deeply’Credit: Today
5
Hoda pictured with her two young daughters Haley and Hope