Jenna Bush Hager's Surprising 'Next Chapter' After Hoda Kotb's 'Today' Exit
Jenna Bush Hager surprised Today viewers on Aug. 6 with her admission that she’s already thinking about her “next chapter” beyond her current TV gig.
The 43-year-old host shared her honest thoughts with guest co-host Matt Rogers about what she hopes the next stage of her life looks like — and it’s not in New York City.
“I have this sort of dream — I just think everybody should have chapters in their lives — I have a dream — I don’t know how realistic it is — but when the Jenna & Friends chapter comes to a close…” she began.
Rogers interrupted, “Well, why would that ever happen?”
That’s when Hager revealed her dreams for her three children, whom she shares with her husband, Henry Hager: Mila, 12, Poppy, 9, and Hal, 6.
“Well.. linear television, baby,” she joked about the struggles of network television in the era of streaming options. “Who knows? But when I’m ready to go to my next chapter, I think it would be so nice to move back to Texas and let my kids — I went to a big public high school — have a different life.”
She’s open to a return to Austin, where she and her twin sister Barbara Bush grew up — she wants the same for her three kids. Considering that the Hagers’ eldest daughter is 12, high school isn’t that far off — and a departure from Today would be a big change for the morning show, which just said goodbye to Hoda Kotb.
In December 2024, Hager explained on Today how hard it was to let Kotb go, even though she was inspired by her former co-host.
“I found out, like, the week before,” she said. “[Kotb] told me as soon as she’d made the decision, but it was — you know, Hoda does things. And this is why I admire her so much, is that she really listens to herself, and therefore she makes decisions which can feel surprising to others and just right for her.”
It wouldn’t be surprising if Hager eventually took a move from Kotb’s playbook and stepped away from the television cameras for a more low-key life. With her successful career and book club, she has a lot of options that might allow her to spend more time with her family.
Today is still in search of Hager’s perfect co-host, but it sounds like no one will ever replace her first love — Hoda Kotb.
“Now that I’ve had time to process it, I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, I totally get it,'” Hager concluded. “But I was saying when everybody’s like, ‘Oh my God, congratulations,’ it’s like, I feel like I’ve been dumped. Not really, because it’s like, she’s choosing herself. I get that. But my heart was, is broken a little.”
Before you go, click here to see celebrity moms who quit Hollywood to raise their kids.