In a moving and raw segment on "Today with Hoda and Jenna," Jenna Bush Hager, expressed feelings of guilt about not being there for her co-star, Hoda Kotb, during a recent family crisis.
Hoda had taken a short break from the show earlier this year when her youngest daughter, Hope, was hospitalized.
Speaking candidly about the importance of honesty, Jenna became visibly emotional as she confessed: "When Hoda's daughter wasn't feeling well, I just wasn't there for her the way I wanted to be.
“And I didn't know how to be. And I felt terrible about it. But I didn't know what to do. So I just said it. I said, 'I feel like I haven't been there for you.'"
Hoda responded with grace and empathy, saying: "I still remember when you said that to me. And it was, first of all, one of the most beautiful statements—you've had so many beautiful statements—and it touched me deeply. And it meant everything to me that you said that."
Hoda took some time off from the Today show in February when Hope was admitted to the hospital. Recounting a poignant moment at 3 a.m. in a lonely hospital room, she spoke about the solace provided by a nurse who came in and silently comforted her.
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"I was just in this room in a chair by myself, thinking about, like, what's going on here," the 51-year-old presenter shared.
"And this nurse walked in, put her hand on my back, didn't even say anything, just sat there for a minute. I was like, 'Oh my God.' I could feel myself, like, right at the time."
Jenna lovingly referred to the nurse as "like an angel."
Hoda concurred, adding that nursing is not just about medical tasks like administering IVs and tests, but also about emotional understanding and support.
She fondly recalled how the nurses created a makeshift bath for Hope when she requested one, despite the child being limited to sponge baths.
"I remember they got this little plastic thing, and they put it in the shower and put Hope in it," she reminisced. "That tiny thing, but it was everything at the time. It was beautiful."
Hoda has yet to reveal the details of Hope's health scare but had previously described the experience as "really scary."
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In April, she opened up, saying: “You know my daughter Hope had a health scare but she’s getting better. I think I didn’t realize how much is already in you when it comes to your strength.
“To watch her go through a difficult time at just 3 years old is really tough for any parent because you’re helpless. But I think you realize just how incredibly resilient and strong she is. She’s teaching me, which is so funny.”
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