Hoda Kotb recently took some time off from TODAY with Hoda and Jenna due to her daughter Hope being hospitalized, and apparently Jenna Bush Hager didn’t feel like she was a supportive friend.
In a conversation about being “brutally honest,” Jenna got visibly emotional and said “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. So I just said it. I said, ‘I feel like I haven’t been there for you.'”
Hoda responded by saying “I still remember when you said that to me. And it was, first of all, one of the most beautiful statements—you’ve had so many beautiful statements—and it touched me deeply. And it meant everything to me that you said that.”
Hoda hasn’t given any details about her daughter’s hospitalization but back in April she said “You know my daughter Hope had a health scare but she’s getting better. I think I didn’t realize how much is already in you when it comes to your strength. To watch her go through a difficult time at just 3 years old is really tough for any parent because you’re helpless. But I think you realize just how incredibly resilient and strong she is. She’s teaching me, which is so funny.”
Mehera Bonner is a celebrity and entertainment news writer who enjoys Bravo and Antiques Roadshow with equal enthusiasm, She was previously entertainment editor at Marie Claire and has covered pop culture for over a decade.