'Struggling' Savannah Guthrie Has Friends Worried For Her Wellbeing Amid Nancy's Kidnapping

Savannah Guthrie has been dealing with a great deal of heartache, pain, and confusion since her mother, Nancy Guthrie, was first reported missing on February 1. People close to her say that the strain of her mom's disappearance and fears for Nancy's life are taking a toll on Savannah emotionally and mentally as she clings to the hope that her mom might be okay. Savannah's close bond with her mother has made Nancy's shocking kidnapping all the more heartbreaking, and friends of the TV news journalist are very concerned about her well-being amid the search for her missing mom.

One of Savannah's friends told Page Six that they became increasingly worried about the "Today" show anchor after she shared an emotional plea on February 15, directed toward the people who kidnapped her mother. "She looks devastated. She looks like she's struggling. She can't be doing well," an unnamed source told the outlet. "Anyone who knows her is obviously so worried about her." 

In a more recent video, shared on February 24, Savannah offered a $1 million reward for information leading to her mother's return, and tragically said the quiet part out loud. Though she's hopeful that her mom will return home safely, she admitted, "We also know that she may be lost. She may already be gone." Savannah's painful public message and cash offer comes more than three weeks after 84-year-old Nancy was taken from her home in Arizona. A massive manhunt and investigation have been underway since, although no concrete leads have been found.

Another concerned friend of Savannah Guthrie says the news anchor's public plea revealed just how painful and draining the past few weeks have been for her. The unnamed friend told Page Six on February 16 that it "looked like the light has gone out of her eyes," and this could be why many are wondering what long-term impact Savannah's traumatic experience could have on her career and her future on the "Today" show. Specifically, many are wondering if the celebrated TV personality will ever be able to return to the news desk.

This year had already been a challenging one for Savannah, as she started 2026 with some serious health issues that led to her stepping away from her role as a news anchor. She underwent vocal cord surgery and returned to the show on January 26, just six days before her mother, Nancy Guthrie, was officially reported missing. Some close to Savannah are convinced she isn't likely to continue with her position on the news program. "Savannah was always the glue on that show, and without that, this whole paradigm of our morning anchor team as a family, that connective tissue has just been ripped out," an unnamed insider at NBC told Status News.

A source told the outlet that they feel that there is "no way Savannah's coming back" to the show and added, "I can't imagine she would even want to." In her absence, Hoda Kotb has been sitting in for Savannah, but a veteran TV exec told Status that there is "not a natural in-house successor" when it comes to Savannah, so things are still very much in the air.