Hoda Kotb under fire as Megyn Kelly calls out her ‘acting’ during Savannah Guthrie interview; ‘She did not even ask…’
Hoda Kotb’s poignant interview with Savannah Guthrie regarding the disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, has faced significant backlash from broadcaster Megyn Kelly, who accused the Today host of “acting” and neglecting to pose fundamental questions in what was promoted as Guthrie’s first substantial sit-down since the 84-year-old went missing in February.
Guthrie, a veteran Today anchor, engaged in a multi-part interview with her co-host and close friend Kotb, which was broadcast this week on NBC. During this segment, Guthrie publicly addressed the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of her mother. She discussed how she and her family are coping up with this difficult phase, and contemplated her potential return to full-time work. Nancy was reported missing by family members on 1 February, and eight weeks later, authorities said that they still have no suspects or persons of interest.
During her SiriusXM program on March 26, The Megyn Kelly Show, Kelly blasted both NBC’s management of the interview and Kotb’s involvement in it. Kelly, 55, told her audience that she felt Kotb “fell down on the job” and should not have been assigned the role of interviewer for such a delicate and high-stakes discussion.
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Megyn Kelly raises concerns over NBC’s handling of Nancy Guthrie Case
Kelly further contended that NBC attempted to transform this tragic situation into a display of on-air solidarity. She said that the network utilized Kotb, not merely as an interviewer but rather as a “promotional vehicle” to convey the image of a close-knit, compassionate morning family. “NBC had an agenda here, which was to show you: One big happy family. Look how empathetic she is,” Kelly said.
“This interview was not about Hoda. It was about Savannah,” she added.
She asserted that NBC intentionally left Kotb’s microphone amplified, allowing viewers to hear every sigh, murmur, and sympathetic sound while Guthrie discussed Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
Slamming Kotb for “wiping away tears that weren’t there,” Kelly claimed: “This was acting on Hoda Kotb’s part, and it was a distraction and an unnecessary one.”
“Therefore, it was not journalistically sound,” she stated. “She did not ask very basic questions like, ‘What do you mean [the door was] propped open?”
Guthrie informed Kotb in the course of the interview that she and her family are providing a reward of as much as $1 million for any information that could assist in Nancy’s recovery, expressing her hope and prayers that someone will step forward.