Savannah Guthrie is reportedly being supported by her Today show colleagues after breaking down in tears on-air while speaking about the disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie.
During Tuesday’s broadcast, Guthrie became emotional as she addressed her family’s ongoing search for answers following Nancy’s reported disappearance from her Arizona home on February 1.
According to Page Six, Guthrie’s friends and co-workers rallied around her after the emotional segment. A source told the outlet the mood behind the scenes at Today was deeply somber.
“It was a sad day,” the source said. “A lot of people at ‘Today’ are affected by it. There was a sense of sadness today. Everybody just feels so bad for her. There is a lot of uncertainty.”
The source added, “There is a lot of admiration and praise for her that she is still able to do her job. People really support her and care about her, and people are heartbroken.”
Guthrie addressed the situation on-air after recent reports claimed ransom notes had been sent to Tucson station KOLD, with one reportedly suggesting Nancy may have died after being abducted. Guthrie said she had “no comment” on the reports and made clear that she was “not involved in” the network’s coverage of her mother’s case. Still, she said she could not sit on set and “pretend” she was not present while the story was discussed.
“This is unusual and unprecedented to say the least to be sitting here,” Guthrie said. “So since I am, I just wanted to take the opportunity to really ask people and really beg people to come forward because somebody knows something.”
She continued, “This is a news story today that is on your radar, but this is the life my sister, [Annie Guthrie], lives, that I live, that my brother, [Camron Guthrie], lives, that our extended families live, that our children live every day.”
Guthrie said her family remains desperate for answers. “We are in agony and we cannot be at peace,” she said. “No matter how much I try to come out here every day and smile and find that joy, and I will, I promise I will, this is a moment to say we need your help. I’m not gonna miss that opportunity.”
She added, “No matter how small, the reward is there. You can tell us, it can be anonymous. Please do the right thing. We love our mom, and we’ll never stop looking for her. Ever.”
The emotional plea followed reports that two notes had been sent to KOLD 13 News in Tucson after Nancy’s disappearance. NBC News reported that the first note allegedly demanded cryptocurrency in exchange for Nancy’s safe return, while the second reportedly suggested she had died after being abducted.
KOLD confirmed it had received two notes in the days after Nancy went missing from her Catalina Foothills home, but said it would not release full details out of respect for the family and the investigation.
“Just like then, 13 News is now not releasing the full details of the notes out of respect for the family and the investigation,” the station reported. “We also shared the IP address from which the notes came to law enforcement.”
According to KOLD, the first note was received one day after doorbell footage was released showing a masked man outside Nancy’s home shortly before she vanished. The station reported that the note included details of the crime scene and demanded “millions in Bitcoin” in exchange for her safe return. In the second note, the writer reportedly claimed Nancy had died after the abduction.
KOLD also reported that the Guthrie family took both notes seriously because they were similar and appeared to come from the same computer address. The notes were shared with investigators, who praised the station’s handling of the matter.
For Guthrie’s colleagues at Today, the broadcast marked a painful moment as one of television’s most familiar morning anchors spoke not as a journalist, but as a daughter asking for help.
“We love our mom,” Guthrie said. “And we’ll never stop looking for her. Ever.”
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