Annie Guthrie's Relationship With Missing Mom Nancy Is Under The Microscope

The devastating kidnapping of Savannah Guthrie's mom, Nancy Guthrie, has evoked shock and sympathy from celebrities and fans alike. As of this writing, the 84-year-old widow and mother of three was still missing nearly two weeks after her January 31 disappearance, and one person of interest had been detained by police, but they were released soon afterwards. As investigators continue to explore every avenue, attention has turned to Savannah's older sister, Annie Guthrie, and her husband, Tommaso Cioni. The couple notably had dinner with Nancy on the night she was taken, making them allegedly the last people to see her. Investigators have searched Annie's home twice and may have removed items from the residence too. 

Naturally, this has raised questions about Annie's relationship with her mother. By their own accounts, the Guthrie children are close both with each other and with Nancy. During a "Today" show segment about siblings in 2017, the sisters explained that they intentionally chose to attend college close to home so that they could still live with Nancy, and at least one of them was always home on the weekends. As Annie, a jewelry designer and poet, said at the time, "I feel like my mom did such a unique and amazing job to create this foundation for us." 

Men's Journal also located a comment that Annie made on Facebook in which she called her mother "our bright North Star." However, the older Guthrie daughter has deleted almost all of her content on the platform since then. It's probable that Annie simply wants to maintain her privacy in the midst of such a horrific and stressful time for her family.

Nancy Guthrie's three children have posted two video messages on social media since her kidnapping, both addressed to her captor. In one shared on Instagram on February 4, both Annie and Savannah Guthrie struggled to keep their emotions in check as they pleaded for their mother's release. "The light is missing from our lives," Annie said. "She is a beacon. She holds fast to joy in all of life's circumstances. She chooses joy day after day, despite already having passed through great trials of pain and grief. [...] Mama, if you're listening, please come home. We need you." 

Savannah Guthrie has had a difficult year to begin with, having just undergone surgery to remove nodules from her vocal cords. Now, she and her siblings also have to cope with the rumors, misinformation, and outright lies surrounding Annie and her husband, Tommaso Cioni. One spambot-generated story even alleged that Annie had actually been arrested on suspicion of being involved in Nancy's disappearance. Despite being debunked, the article is still circulating. Similarly, News Nation's Ashleigh Banfield has claimed more than once that Cioni is considered a suspect in the case, despite a local sheriff's clarification that a definitive suspect has not yet been found. 

The Guthries are reportedly considering legal action against Banfield for inflicting emotional harm. But the damage is already done. Once content to let her sister be the one handling the perks and pain of celebrity life, Annie is now destined to withstand public scrutiny and gossip until her mother's case is resolved, be it in triumph or grief.