The tension surrounding Savannah Guthrie’s absence from Today has taken a dramatic turn as Megyn Kelly publicly criticized Hoda Kotb’s emotional interview with Guthrie, following the heartbreaking disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie. Kotb, who had stepped away from full-time hosting earlier in 2025, returned to fill in for Guthrie and has been an essential presence on the show during this challenging period.
While her colleagues, including Craig Melvin and Jenna Bush Hager, have praised Kotb’s dedication in balancing her responsibilities as a mother and her commitment to the Today team, not everyone shares the same sentiment. Kelly, in a scathing review on her podcast, accused Kotb of putting on an emotional act during the interview, claiming she “wiped away nonexistent tears” and that her emotional response seemed disingenuous.
Kelly’s critique went beyond the performance, as she also took issue with Kotb’s journalistic approach. According to Kelly, Kotb failed to ask crucial follow-up questions during the interview, particularly concerning a propped-open door at Nancy Guthrie’s home—a detail that could have provided key insights into the case. Kelly argued that Kotb’s handling of the interview lacked basic journalistic standards, reducing its credibility and turning what could have been an important piece of reporting into a promotional spectacle.
The controversy has intensified against the backdrop of the ongoing developments in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, a case that has drawn comparisons to the high-profile disappearance of an Air Force general. The critical remarks from Kelly have sparked a debate about the intersection of emotion and journalism, as well as the ethics of handling such sensitive stories on national television.
As Today continues to cover this unfolding story, the scrutiny of Kotb’s role in the coverage is unlikely to die down anytime soon.
