More than a month after her mother vanished in Arizona, Savannah Guthrie made an emotional visit back to the Today studio in New York, offering her first public sign that she intends to return to the program that has defined much of her career.
The NBC anchor has been away from the morning broadcast since early February following the disappearance of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie. According to NBC, Guthrie stopped by the Today set on the morning of March 5 to spend time with colleagues and thank the team that has supported her family during the ordeal.
While she is still focused on helping search for her missing mother, NBC confirmed that Guthrie plans to return to the show on air in the near future.
Images obtained by TMZ showed Guthrie greeting staff members inside the Manhattan studio and embracing crew members. The emotional reunion included hugs and a brief address to the people she has worked alongside for years.
NBC said the visit was not a formal return to broadcasting. Instead, the network explained that Guthrie came to personally thank her colleagues while continuing to prioritize her family.
“While she plans to return to the show on air, she remains focused right now supporting her family and working to help bring Nancy home,” the studio said in a statement.
An emotional return to familiar ground
During Thursday’s broadcast, Today hosts Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones spoke about seeing Guthrie earlier that morning at Rockefeller Center.
“We got to see her this morning, and in her perfect way she talked to all of us, hugged every single person in this room, the crew,” Bush Hager said during the show.
She added that Guthrie told colleagues she intends to return to the program, describing the newsroom as a place where the anchor feels supported.
“Even though it feels like the hardest thing to do, it’s also her home and where she feels so loved,” Bush Hager said.
Sheinelle Jones also praised Guthrie’s strength, saying she was proud of her colleague for coming into the studio during such a difficult period.
“I know the strength that it would’ve taken to even just come in here and to be amongst all of us,” Jones said.
A family still searching for answers
Guthrie has largely remained out of the public eye since Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Tucson, Arizona home on February 1. Authorities believe the 84-year-old was taken from the residence against her will.
In the weeks since, the television journalist has spent significant time in Arizona with family members as the search continues. She was also seen visiting a memorial outside her mother’s home with relatives, where yellow flowers were placed among messages left by supporters.
The Today show later shared news of Guthrie’s visit to the studio on its official Instagram account, prompting an outpouring of encouragement from viewers who said they were praying for her family and hoping for Nancy Guthrie’s safe return.
For now, NBC says Guthrie remains focused on helping bring her mother home — while also preparing for the day she returns to the desk where millions of viewers know her best.
