Jenna Bush Hager was missing from her usual appearances during the early hours of Today on August 10, but there was no behind-the-scenes drama behind her absence.
The 44-year-old host had been in Maine with her family for the baptism of her nephew Edward Finn Coyne, the 2-year-old son of her twin sister, Barbara Pierce Bush. She flew directly back to New York afterward and made it to Studio 1A in time for Today with Jenna & Sheinelle.
“Well, I’m straight off a flight because I was in Maine with my family and my little nephew got baptized,” Bush Hager explained, according to People.
Bush Hager was asked to read Mary Oliver’s poem “When I Am Among the Trees” during the ceremony, which took place in a church connected to generations of her family.
Sheinelle Jones Was Asked Where Her Co-Host Was
Bush Hager typically appears during the first two hours of Today, including presenting the “Morning Boost” segment and greeting visitors on Rockefeller Plaza. Savannah Guthrie handled “Morning Boost” on Monday while Bush Hager was still traveling.
By the fourth hour, Bush Hager was back beside Sheinelle Jones, who revealed that other members of the team had repeatedly asked whether her co-host was going to make it.
“Everybody kept asking me … I mean, I’m not Jenna’s keeper,” Jones joked. “‘Where’s Jenna? Sheinelle, where’s Jenna? Is Jenna gonna make it?’” Jones said she assumed everything was fine because Bush Hager had not texted her with a problem.
Bush Hager then clarified that her absence had been planned with the show. “They let me miss the earlier hours,” she said, adding that she had come “straight off a flight.”
Her Nephew’s Baptism Became an Emotional Family Moment
Bush Hager had traveled to Maine for the baptism of Edward Finn Coyne, who recently celebrated his second birthday. Edward is the younger child of Barbara Pierce Bush and her husband, Craig Coyne. He was born on August 4, 2024, and was named in honor of his great-grandfathers.
Bush Hager had an important role during the baptism when she was asked to read Mary Oliver’s “When I Am Among the Trees.” “I was reading it, and it was in the church where I’ve gone with my grandparents my whole life. My kids were baptized there,” she said, according to Entertainment Weekly.
As she recalled the ceremony on air, Bush Hager began getting choked up. “I mean, see, what is wrong?” she asked.
Seeing Her Twin Sister With Her Son Made Her Tear Up
Bush Hager said another part of the ceremony caught her emotionally when she looked up from the reading and saw her twin sister holding Edward.
“There’s something evolutionary about looking up and seeing your twin sister hold this big ol’ baby,” she said. “I couldn’t help it. I was kind of weepy.”
The family gathering also gave the extended Bush family an opportunity to spend time together. “But it was so fun to have all the cousins together,” Bush Hager added.
InStyle also reported that Bush Hager became emotional while describing the church, her sister and the chance to have the cousins gathered for the baptism.
She Made It Back for Her Fourth-Hour Show
Despite the tight travel schedule, Bush Hager arrived in time for her regular fourth-hour broadcast with Jones. The two went on to interview Chrissy Metz, who discussed her decision to begin taking a GLP-1 medication.
August 10 also marked Savannah Guthrie’s return to Today after nearly three weeks away while filming her upcoming Wordle game show. Guthrie filled in for Bush Hager on “Morning Boost” earlier that morning.