Savannah Guthrie Spends Her Time Off With One Person Who Has Truly Been Her Rock

Savannah Guthrie's life has been nothing short of a nightmare since February 1, 2026. On that day, her mother, Nancy, went missing, with evidence showing that she had been forcibly taken from her home. In the time since, there has been little public indication that the authorities are getting close to finding her or the people who took her. All of this has left the family in a perpetual state of uncertainty, and while Guthrie has not shied away from discussing tragedy, she has tried to keep it from becoming the only subject on her mind. Thankfully, Guthrie's good friend and former co-worker Hoda Kotb is there to help her through it all. In August, Kotb shared a photo of her and Guthrie on Instagram, showing that their bond is as strong as ever.

In the photo, the two friends sat close together, arms around one another, smiling and enjoying some fresh air on a beautiful sunny day. Kotb marked the moment, writing, "My favorite place... next to you," adding a heart emoji and tagging Guthrie's account. A few hours later, Kotb shared a video of her daughters and one very excited dog helping her celebrate her birthday a few days early. It appears that Guthrie may have been there that same day to help her friend turn 62 in style. 

Guthrie and Kotb have expressed their love in the past. In 2022, Guthrie opened up about their friendship, telling an audience at The Paley Center, "It's wonderful to have a female partnership, but to me, to have this friend and cheerleader and partner, and I really feel that from her, and I hope we share that. It's incredible. I always say, 'I'll hold my hands and close my eyes and go anywhere with you.' I would" (via Today).

Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb were never meant to work together, let alone become close friends, but a series of difficult events led to them making "Today" show history. Kotb joined the program in 2008, hosting the fourth hour alongside Kathie Lee Gifford. Guthrie joined the team in 2011 and became co-anchor in 2012, working with Matt Lauer. But when Lauer was let go by NBC following sexual misconduct accusations, the network replaced him with Kotb, making her and Guthrie the first female anchor duo to headline the long-running program. 

For Guthrie, Kotb was a lifeline during a turbulent time, explaining at The Paley Center event, "All I know was in that moment, it felt like I could drown if Hoda hadn't reached down and grabbed my hand" (via Today). She went on to credit her friend with not only helping her stay afloat, but with saving the "Today" show: "I will always say, she saved the show full stop. And holding hands with her and being like, 'We're going to do this together,' meant everything to me. I don't think I had the confidence by myself." 

Shortly after Kotb stepped in to help Guthrie, the duo discussed their friendship with Parade, revealing that it formed over a shared love of Coffee-mate and messy purses. Kotb described the feeling: "Have you ever gone to lunch with someone and the first few minutes you go, 'Yes, yes, yes'? You don't know why, you just know yes." Showing the power of their undying connection, when Guthrie was ready to face the cameras after her mother was taken, Kotb was there to help her through it, despite the rumored behind-the-scenes drama it caused at NBC.