Tragic Details About Savannah Guthrie's Family

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The following article references grief, pregnancy loss, physical trauma, and a missing person case.

The stunning Savannah Guthrie is considered one of the most recognizable and influential television personalities in the United States. As a main co-anchor of NBC's "Today" show since July 2012, she has become a beloved fixture of morning news. This Emmy Award-winning journalist and former attorney has an impressive track record: Not only did she serve as a White House correspondent for more than two years, but she also nabbed the Matrix Award from the New York Women in Communications organization in 2017 and was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in 2022. She is adept at tackling both serious and lighthearted topics, from politics to inspiring human-interest stories, celebrities, parenting, and cooking. 

Additionally, she has co-authored two children's books with Allison Oppenheim that became instant bestsellers: "Princesses Wear Pants" and "Princesses Save the World." These releases inspired the Netflix series "Princess Power," which she helped executive produce. Nevertheless, beyond these professional, social, and personal triumphs, Guthrie's life has been riddled with tragedies, including the early loss of her father, her failed marriage, a miscarriage, and an accidental injury resulting in long-term impairment.

At the time of publishing, the anchor is still dealing with the disappearance of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie. This mysterious case has garnered significant media coverage and caused the anchor to take a two-month hiatus. Though she has now resumed her duties on "Today," she is still anxiously hoping for her mom's return. Let's revisit all her struggles over the years.

Though she was born in Australia in 1971, Savannah Guthrie was raised with her siblings, Camron and Annie, in Arizona. Their father, Charles Guthrie, was a mining engineer, and their mom, Nancy Guthrie, was a stay-at-home parent. Sadly, Charles died of a heart attack in 1988, and then-16-year-old Savannah was devastated. On top of this life-altering loss, the family was plunged into financial hardship. Subsequently, Nancy had to find work to support her kids, all while tending to her brother with Down syndrome and encouraging Savannah in her studies and career.

The anchor has spoken highly of her dad on multiple occasions, stating that she thinks about him on a regular basis. "He was deep and complicated, and he didn't talk to us like little kids. He told us things that I didn't understand at the time but later would remember, long after he died," she recalled to People in February 2024. In a heartfelt essay published by "Today" on January 13, 2017, she praised Charles' qualities, which included charisma, strength, loyalty, humor, and, above all, integrity. "His moral clarity was demanding and sometimes intimidating," she wrote, "but he tempered it, at the moment you most needed and least expected it, with kindness and mercy."

Charles' death profoundly changed her outlook on life, and she reflected on grief and faith at length in her bestselling book, "Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere."

Although Savannah Guthrie is now married to Michael Feldman with two kids, her journey to this stable, happy life was full of challenges. She met her first husband, journalist Mark Orchard, in 2005, while they were both covering the Michael Jackson child molestation allegations for Court TV and BBC News, respectively. The couple tied the knot in December of the same year and called it quits in 2009. Though Guthrie hasn't shared details about her seemingly hostile divorce, she has stated that this painful split took a heavy emotional toll on her, particularly because she was just establishing herself at NBC at the age of 36 and was worried that her biological clock was ticking. "I was pretty sure that I had lost my opportunity and more or less ruined my life," she recalled to Us Weekly in 2025, before adding, "I wanted to do something important and meaningful, but I really wanted a family." It took her years to move past her bitterness, sense of failure, and disappointment.

The anchor rarely talks about her ex-husband. At the time of publishing, Orchard is currently credited as the senior broadcast producer of the award-winning weekly news program "Full Measure With Sharyl Attkisson."

Years after overcoming the heartache of her failed marriage, Savannah Guthrie was finally able to realize her dream of balancing a high-profile career with the joys of motherhood. In 2008, the TV personality met corporate consultant Michael Feldman at his 40th birthday bash, shortly after separating from Mark Orchard. The pair started dating in 2009 and then got engaged in 2013. They tied the knot in March 2014 and welcomed their first child, Vale Guthrie Feldman, in August that year. Unfortunately, their journey to expand their family initially met with disappointment, as they navigated not only a miscarriage but also subsequent struggles with infertility.

Savannah was 41 when she experienced her heartbreaking pregnancy loss, and she feared at the time that she wouldn't be able to conceive again. "I stopped even letting myself hope or believe I could because the years were getting on," she revealed to Good Housekeeping in April 2022 (via People). "It wasn't that I thought it was impossible; I just thought it wasn't likely," she said before describing this feeling as "a self-defense mechanism." Per her reasoning, having already attained professional success and started a family, she felt compelled to mask her disappointment to avoid appearing ungrateful.

Similar to other celebrities like Courtney Cox, Kim Kardashian, and Anne Hathaway, Savannah Guthrie has spoken openly about her infertility journey. Guthrie and her husband Michael Feldman struggled for years before they finally welcomed their second child, Charles Max Feldman (named after her late father and nicknamed Charley), on December 8, 2016. After suffering a pregnancy loss, the couple decided to take the in vitro fertilization route, but their first cycle was unsuccessful. According to medical professionals, undergoing IVF can be both physically demanding and emotionally taxing. It involves egg retrieval, hormonal medications and injections, ultrasounds, and, finally, an embryo transfer — but also a roller coaster of emotions spanning anger, anxiety, and hope mixed with helplessness.

"I would say Vale was a miracle, and Charley was a medical miracle," the anchor told Health in April 2019 (via Today). "When making that decision about whether to go through IVF, my husband and I talked about it a lot. ... But it ended up taking more than one attempt ... I always say, Charley was, like, the last egg out." She then noted that this challenging experience has made her more compassionate toward women "struggling and wishing and wondering, 'When's it gonna be my turn?'"

Savannah Guthrie's health and medical history extend well beyond her painful experiences with infertility and pregnancy loss. On November 27, 2019, the "Today" co-anchor shared on Instagram (via Page Six) that her then-2-year-old son, Charley, accidentally threw his toy train at her right eye, causing a significant tear in her retina. Subsequently, she temporarily lost her vision and then underwent five laser procedures, thinking it was all the treatment she needed. Nevertheless, she was also forced to have a delicate emergency retinal detachment surgery in December that year.

Fast-forward to July 2020, when Guthrie underwent a second eye surgery to have her cataracts removed — another unfortunate consequence of her injury. As she explained to People a few months prior, "When you have this retinal detachment, most people will end up developing cataracts, obviously at a much younger age than would normally be expected. ... When you have cataracts, you get blurry spots, and you notice it more and more. So, I do." Following that procedure, she took to Instagram to share her gratitude and joy, noting a significant improvement in her vision. Still, she wasn't able to conclude that ordeal until she underwent a minor, final surgery in April 2021.

The global coronavirus pandemic that hit the world in 2020 forced millions to work remotely or isolate themselves from their family, friends, and colleagues. In March of that year, Savannah Guthrie committed to anchoring her show from her own basement in New York. Her husband, Michael Feldman, would help her get ready and set up the camera, teleprompter, and lights. Out of precaution, their children were kept out of that makeshift studio for days because she was feeling under the weather (but it later proved to be a plain cold). "It's an amusing and surreal experience to be hosting the 'Today' show and trying to interview newsmakers and hearing my children's feet pounding on the floor above," she told The New York Times back then.

It was much more alarming, though, when she tested positive for COVID-19 three times in 2022 and 2023, despite having received the vaccine and the booster shots. Not only did she take sick leave on several occasions, but she also missed out on precious, intimate moments with her children on special occasions. "So, this happened — again! Covid +, air filter on 'turbo,' and it will be an isolating Mother's Day for this mama!" she shared on Instagram on May 6, 2022.

Savannah Guthrie nearly lost not only her vision but also her ability to speak clearly and loudly. In December 2025, the anchor announced that she was taking some time off to undergo microlaryngeal surgery in order to remove a vocal cord polyp and a nodule. For weeks, she was under strict doctor's orders not to talk. So, she turned to a portable whiteboard to exchange playful messages with her family and friends — and keep her followers in the loop on Instagram while thanking them for their support. She also used two plastic game buzzers, a green one for "yes" and a red one for "no."

On January 20, 2026, while still on vocal rest at home, she updated the "Today" team live on air about her condition, informing them that she was given the green light to speak for about 10 minutes every hour. "It's kind of a slow recovery," she shared with her colleagues and viewers. "You're allowed to talk and then if you talk too much, which is a real risk for me, you feel it. So, you have to really take it easy."

These last few months have been marked by Nancy Guthrie's kidnapping and Savannah Guthrie's temporary hiatus from "Today." This is how the shocking disappearance of the anchor's 84-year-old mother has developed: Nancy was last seen on the evening of January 31, 2026, by her daughter Annie Guthrie and her husband, who treated her to a meal at their home in Tucson. In the early hours of the next morning, Nancy's front door's camera captured a heavily disguised man attempting to disable the device, and her pacemaker app was disconnected from her phone. When she failed to show up for Sunday mass, her relatives reported her missing.

Investigators immediately suspected foul play because they found signs of forced entry as well as traces of blood on the porch (which later turned out to be Nancy's). Plus, alleged ransom notes have been sent to various media outlets, including TMZ and CNN. Though these messages demanded millions in Bitcoin, they didn't provide any contact information. Subsequently, the Guthrie family haven't been able to settle the fee in exchange for Nancy's safe return. On February 10, a man was arrested in the town of Rio Rico, Arizona, and then released. Five days later, a pair of gloves similar to the pair worn by the masked man was found, but they yielded no useful DNA evidence. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump called Savannah and promised her full local and federal police cooperation.

Thanks to her thriving career and a net worth of about $50 million (according to Celebrity Net Worth), Savannah Guthrie enjoys an incredibly lavish lifestyle today. Happily married with two kids, she also appears to have permanently moved past her vocal cord and eye injury issues. Nonetheless, even with so many tragedies behind her, she remains profoundly shaken by Nancy Guthrie's disappearance. Given her limited mobility and fragile health, the latter was likely abducted because she wouldn't have been able to wander off far on her own. Regardless of how painful the outcome is, obtaining closure is vital for the anchor. Meanwhile, she has been on an emotional roller coaster, swinging between desperation, faint hope, and spiritual disillusionment.

With no means to contact the kidnappers, Savannah and her siblings have taken to social media to plead with them and have promised the public a hefty reward for any useful information. "Please keep praying without ceasing," she said (via NBC News). "We still believe. We still believe in a miracle. We still believe that she can come home, hope against hope. ... We also know that she may be lost."

In an interview with Hoda Kotb last March (via NBC News), the anchor described her daily turmoil. "I wake up every night in the middle of the night, every night," she shared. "And in the darkness, I imagine her terror." Meanwhile, the "Today" show host has courageously resumed her duties, maintaining optimism for a happy reunion in the near future.