NBC execs reportedly preparing for ‘Today’ co-anchor possibility Savannah Guthrie She may need to quit the morning show amid emotional tension over the disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie.
According to The Sun, citing unnamed sources, network executives are making contingency plans in case Savannah needs to take another leave of absence after receiving an anonymous blackmail message claiming she is dead. Investigators have not confirmed the claims and have not released the identity of the suspect.
NBC has not publicly confirmed the report or announced any changes to Guthrie’s schedule.
Nancy GuthrieThe 84-year-old disappeared from her home in Arizona on February 1. Authorities believe she was abducted overnight and the investigation is ongoing.
Read more: Nancy Guthrie Update: TMZ weighs in on disappearance amid ransom note probe, FBI passes on key info
“The emotional toll became impossible to ignore.”
According to The Sun , an insider said NBC employees were deeply concerned for Guthrie’s safety as the case continued to unfold.
“Everyone at NBC is terrified of Savannah,” the source reportedly said, adding that each new development in the case takes an emotional toll on Savannah.
The source continued, “She’s holding on for now, but every new development feels like another blow to the heart. No one should have to deliver the morning news while living through a nightmare like this.”
The report also claims that executives understood that if there were significant developments in the investigation, Guthrie might need to leave the show without notice. “The emotional toll is becoming too great to ignore. Executives are quietly preparing for every possibility,” the source added.
The source further stated, “They want Savannah to keep her job, but they also know she may need to leave without notice.
If Guthrie needs more time away, Hoda Kotb ready to fill in
It was previously reported that Guthrie was absent from the “Today” show on June 26 and June 29. The outlet reported that the absences were unplanned. The report also noted that co-host Craig Melvin was away both days.
Sources told The Sun that if Guthrie needs more time away from the show, former Today co-host Hoda Kotb is ready to fill the void. “If Savannah needed her, she would be in that chair immediately. Not a second of hesitation.”
Executives wanted to give Guthrie the flexibility to focus on his family, the report said. The source elaborated, “This isn’t about replacing Savannah. It’s about giving her space to focus on finding her mother.”
“She ran out of sheer courage.”
Sources told the outlet that Savannah was “emotionally depressed.”
Earlier this month, TMZ reported that Guthrie became emotional while speaking to the audience after receiving an anonymous email from a man claiming to have evidence linking him to Nancy’s abductor. The email also claimed that Nancy was dead and that she had been kidnapped by two men.
TMZ said it forwarded the messages to the FBI.
A source told the outlet, “Savannah was determined not to let the audience down, but behind the scenes, everyone could see how emotionally drained she was. She was running on sheer grit.”
