Hoda Kotb's Latest Bougie Venture Amid Savannah Guthrie Tragedy Sparks Mixed Reactions

It's been a troubling year for "Today Show" host Savannah Guthrie, and now it seems her woes are causing issues for others. After Savannah's mother, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing on February 1, NBC personalities tried to keep things running smoothly without Savannah. Though moves have been made to indicate that Savannah might be open to returning to work in the future, fellow co-hosts have stepped up to the plate to fill in for her. Hoda Kotb was one of a few news anchors who left "Today," who has made a graceful return to occasionally pitch in. While her presence on the small screen is welcome, how Kotb has been handling herself off-screen has been raising eyebrows.

Per the Daily Mail, in December 2025, Kotb announced that her brand, Joy 101, would be hosting a wellness retreat with tickets starting at a cool $2,600. Though it was planned before Nancy's disappearance, the event still took place this month in Scottsdale, Arizona — about 100 miles away from where Nancy was abducted. This could have caused a media backlash for Kotb, as an exclusive event celebrating joy so close to where tragedy struck might not be the best optics.

Eric Schiffer, expert and chairman of Reputation Management, noted that Kotb would be wise to avoid "performative content" if she wanted to survive her wellness retreat with little repercussions. He also recommended that Kotb herself not post any content of the event, but this didn't stop her from religiously taking selfies with attendees, nor did it stop people from having some bold opinions on the event as a whole.

According to attendees of Hoda Kotb's wellness retreat in Arizona, the former "Today Show" host was more than willing to snap photos with anyone and everyone. Per the Daily Mail, one attendee admitted, "Everybody just walked up to Hoda the whole time and took selfies." Kotb also participated in the luxe treatments offered, like sound baths and breathing exercises. Considering the staggering wealth Kotb has from her NBC days, it makes sense that she would feel comfortable throwing a lavish event. However, the fact that the money went to her own organization, and the retreat was held relatively close to where Nancy Guthrie was abducted, rubbed some people the wrong way.

Commenters on the Daily Mail article suggested that Kotb "was capitalizing on Savannah's tragedy" by going through with the event. Others remarked that the whole thing seemed like a "grift." However, others noted that "the retreat was announced at least as early as December 18, 2025" and that Guthrie's disappearance wasn't until February. This led another to snarkily remark, "So is no one allowed to do anything within a 5 or 6 hour radius of where Guthrie was kidnapped now?"

Considering that Kotb has had her fair share of tragedies, it does seem that she understood the need to host her wellness retreat in good taste. Though she was willing to take photos with pretty much everyone there, Kotb has done a good job of not discussing or sharing any of it on her own social media. Keeping her success quiet just might be the best strategy for moving forward.