Savannah Guthrie returned to the Today show after an abrupt exit mid-episode caused concern.
Guthrie, 54, was back in the studio on Thursday, May 7, where she was joined by cohost Willie Geist. The duo kicked off the morning show by discussing the Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle, which released its first trailer on Wednesday, May 6.
“I love Legally Blonde. I connect with this character and now we get to see her in high school,” Guthrie gushed before recalling the Halloween she spent as Reese Witherspoon’s character Elle Woods.
Guthrie appeared in good spirits throughout the broadcast, even looking back at old school photos with her colleagues during the episode.
One day earlier, Guthrie disappeared from the NBC morning show shortly before it came to an end. Craig Melvin was outside on the plaza alongside Jenna Bush Hager, Sheinelle Jones, Carson Daly and Dylan Dreyer, when he announced, “Savannah had to leave a little early. She will be right back here tomorrow though.”
Savannah previously took a break from hosting the Today show after news broke in February that her mother, Nancy Guthrie, was missing in Arizona. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department’s investigation is still ongoing, nearly 100 days later.
Several ransom letters were allegedly received by TMZ and local news outlets in the weeks after Nancy went missing. A demand was also made from an unknown sender claiming to have information on who took Nancy, offering to identify the suspect in exchange for 1 Bitcoin.
The FBI released photos and video footage of a subject outside of Nancy’s home in February. Additional details about the individual were revealed as authorities announced a new $100,000 reward for information that could help identify a potential suspect.
Savannah spoke at length about her mom’s disappearance during an emotional interview with Hoda Kotb in March, shortly before announcing her return to the Today show.
“Someone needs to do the right thing. We are in agony,” Savannah said. “And to think of what she went through. I wake up every night in the middle of the night. Every night. And in the darkness, I imagine her terror. And it is unthinkable.”
Savannah admitted that she wondered whether her status as a public figure contributed to her mother being abducted.
“It’s just too much to bear to think that I brought this to her bedside,” she told Kotb. “That it’s because of me. I have to say I’m so sorry, Mommy. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry to my sister and my brother and my kids and my nephew and Tommy, my brother-in-law,” Savannah continued. “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry. If it is me, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.”
Months after the investigation into Nancy’s whereabouts began, authorities clarified that they “remain fully committed” to the case.
“This is an active and ongoing investigation, and we continue to work closely with our partners at the FBI,” the Pima County Sheriff’s Office told Us Weekly on Monday, May 4. “DNA and video analysis are underway, supported by laboratories across the country.”
