Today viewers have taken to social media to criticize the show after Savannah Guthrie was assigned a story about a missing elderly man – nearly six months after her own mother, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing from her Arizona home.
Savannah stepped away from Today shortly after her mother’s disappearance in early February. The presenter was absent from the morning show for several weeks while authorities continued their search for Nancy, before making her return to the anchor desk in April.
At the time of writing, Nancy Guthrie’s case remains unresolved. While investigators have reportedly told multiple outlets they believe she passed away shortly after she was abducted, her exact whereabouts remain unknown, and authorities have not publicly confirmed her death.
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Savannah Guthrie Reports On 'Missing' Elderly Man On 'Today'
During the Monday, July 6th episode of Today, Savannah reported on the disappearance of 70-year-old Rondy Packard, who went missing in the California wilderness for six days before he was eventually found alive and rescued. Following the broadcast, some viewers took to X to question why Savannah was assigned a missing-person story given her own family's ongoing ordeal.
The criticism came shortly before Savannah missed several episodes of Today that week. She was absent on Wednesday, July 8th, Thursday, July 9th, and Friday, July 10th, with Sheinelle Jones and Laura Jarrett filling in alongside Craig Melvin.
At the time of writing, no official reason has been given for Savannah's latest absence, and it remains unclear whether it was connected to her mother's case or a personal matter.
'Today' Viewers Slam The Show On X
"Now why would they make her report on this story?!" one viewer asked on X, as a second replied: "They're sick and twisted."
"That's rough… forcing Savannah to cover a missing elder rescue while her own mom's case is still open? Zero empathy from the producers," slammed a third, as a fourth said: "Omg. That's terrible." "Bosses really out here assigning ‘missing elderly' stories like it's not your own mom missing. Heartless," criticized a fifth.
"They had an entire anchor room of people who could report and she was the only one?" asked a sixth, in disbelief. A seventh speculated: "They wanted her to break down about her mama to get the views."
An eighth exclaimed: "Inhumane! She probably has PTSD and what they did was traumatize her all over again." The same user demanded: "Fire that heartless disgusting person!"
