Jenna Bush Hager‘s morning took an unexpected turn during a recent episode of “Today with Jenna & Friends” when a sweet story about old friendships quickly turned into every broadcaster’s nightmare.
The daughter of George W. Bush, who has been anchoring NBC’s fourth hour since 2019, found herself in trouble after accidentally letting a curse word slip during live television, creating a moment that would stick with her throughout the rest of the show.
The mess began innocently enough on the July 24 show, as Bush Hager shared memories with guest co-host Willie Geist about their long friendship.
Jenna began telling the story of the first time she met Geist’s wife, Christina, back in 2012, when their son George was just 3 years old. What should have been a sweet story about family connections instead became a broadcasting disaster when Bush Hager repeated what she claimed Christina had said about her young son’s behavior, using a curse word that immediately shocked everyone in the NBC studio.
The 43-year-old host’s face was in immediate horror as she realized her mistake.
“Christina goes — I don’t know if you can say this — but she was like, ‘God, George is acting like an a—hole,’” she said, according to People, before quickly trying to take it back with “You can’t say that. You can’t say it.”
The studio went quiet, with producers clearly heard trying to handle the situation while Geist looked completely stunned by his colleague’s unexpected language.
Bush Hager’s panic was obvious as she desperately tried to understand television’s rules about bad language.
“Can you say it one time?” she asked, only to get a firm response from Geist, who has worked at NBC for nearly two decades.
“No, you can say it zero times,” he replied, his experience since joining MSNBC in 2005 giving weight to his correction.
Covering her face with her hands, Bush Hager added, “Oh, sorry, sorry, everybody’s looking at me like ‘why did you say that?’“
Geist immediately moved to protect both his family’s reputation and his co-host’s career, stating firmly, “I’d like to go on the record that my wife never said such a thing about my precious 3-year-old son.”
The situation got worse when Bush Hager, celebrating National Tequila Day on the show, wondered if alcohol might have caused her verbal slip. “I’m blushing and I never blush. Was it the tequila?” she questioned before making things worse by bringing up “Schitt’s Creek,” apparently confused about broadcast rules.
Geist quickly stepped in, explaining, “That’s just the title of the show spelled differently. Don’t keep going down the line of expletives. This stops here. And we are live on NBC this morning!”
“I feel worried like I’m going to get a call from the boss or something,” Bush Hager replied. As the show went on, her embarrassment only got worse when NBC correspondent Peter Alexander appeared on set.
“I’m still stuck in a moment, and here’s Peter Alexander from the White House coming over to shame me,” she said, her distress becoming more obvious. The veteran journalist expressed real fear about work consequences, worrying about “ruining my job, ruining my career” and describing her shame as “all-encompassing.”
This wasn’t the first time bad language has slipped onto the “Today” show.
Savannah Guthrie was caught saying a curse word on camera in 2018, while guest co-host Tyra Banks had her own slip-up in April, immediately asking producers, “Did you guys do the beep? Beep me!”
These incidents show how even experienced broadcasters can fall victim to live television’s unforgiving nature.
When People magazine shared the incident on Instagram, followers offered a mix of sympathy and perspective.
“I’d be more worried about your dad – your so sweet,” one commenter wrote, while another added, “Seriously J wouldn’t worry, Jenna. Your daddy got and kept you this job. It will all be ok.”
The mentions of her father weren’t without reason, as former President George W. Bush has his own history with colorful language in public settings.
Worries about her father’s potential reaction may be overblown given his own public profanity moments.
At a 2000 campaign rally, The Guardian reports, President Bush was caught on a live microphone calling a New York Times reporter a “major league asshole,” while a 1999 interview featured multiple “F” bombs as he criticized political opponents.
Social media users seemed aware of this family trait, with one commenting, “I think u are more like your Dad than u know. love u Jenna.”
Other followers questioned broadcast standards entirely, drawing comparison to President Donald Trump. “The President curses often, including using [f bombs] to a group of reporters on live TV, so all bets are off as far as I’m concerned.”
Geist’s reassurance carried real weight given his extensive experience dealing with NBC’s corporate culture. He assured Bush Hager she likely wouldn’t get that call from their boss. telling her, “No, you’re fine. You’re good.”
His 20-year tenure with NBC News provided a solid perspective on the situation’s likely consequences.
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