Is Savannah Guthrie Leaving the ‘Today’ Show? Absence Explained Amid Rumored Feud With Hoda Kotb

Noticeably missing? Savannah Guthrie sparked rumors that she may be leaving the Today show after the anchor was absent from the program on October 20. Her absence came amid feud rumors with coanchor Hoda Kotb. Keep reading for details.

Why Did Savannah Guthrie Miss ‘Today’?

The NBC News star, 50, was missing from the anchor desk on October 20, and Craig Melvin opted to take her seat for the day. However, she had a very good reason for skipping work. Although Savannah hosted Today just one day prior, she immediately traveled to Washington, D.C., where she received the 2022 Caregiver Champion award during the Elizabeth Dole Foundation Heroes and History Makers gala. 

To assure her absence was because of the prestigious event, the attorney even called into the studio from Washington to chat with her costars about her award. She did not mention if she would be back on October 21, or if she’d be taking a long weekend. 

Of course, this was not the first time Savannah has taken time off. In late August, she was missing from Today because of a pre-planned summer vacation with her husband, Michael Feldman, and their kids, Vale and Charles. Earlier that month, the former legal analyst documented her wild ride to work after “oversleeping.” Craig, 43, who was covering for Hoda, 58, that day, said she “rolled in” just 15 minutes before airtime. 

Savannah was noticeably absent from the show again in late November. On Instagram, the mom of two revealed that she came down with “a flu or something like it.” She shared a photo of her thermometer with a 101.8 temperature. The illness also forced her to miss the annual Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center on November 30. She missed a few days of work in December before celebrating Christmas and her birthday with her family that month.

Is Savannah Guthrie Leaving ‘Today’?

The Princesses Wear Pants author’s absences in recent months have led some fans to speculate that she’s getting ready to leave Today. However, she has made no formal announcement or given any indication that she will be leaving her post of 10 years, where she earns a salary of $8 million per year, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Rumblings about Savannah departing intensified when rumors began circulating that she and Hoda were feuding behind the scenes. While they have not publicly addressed the reports of tension between them, the ladies openly talked about their friendship and how they lean on each other for parenting advice during an interview with Good Housekeeping in April. 

“I have some nights where I really messed up and I know I did. I come in the next morning thinking, ‘I feel terrible for what I did. What was I thinking? Why did I think that was going to work?’ [My kids] went to bed crying,” Hoda said about her adopted daughters Hope and Haley. “Like, I don’t want that to be me. But then I talk to Savannah. [She’ll say], ‘That was my Wednesday.’ It makes you feel less alone.”

Savannah noted it’s “enjoyable” to “vent” with her coanchor. “We trade parenting tips or ideas, or sometimes I listen to Hoda FaceTime with her kids,” Savannah explained. “It’s amazing to be in a very high-pressure job but also have someone who understands the other high-pressure job you have and can carry it with you.”