Savannah Guthrie will not host the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Italy amid the search for her apparently kidnapped mother, NBC Sports announced Tuesday.
“Savannah will not be joining us at the Olympics as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time,” NBC News reported, citing a statement from NBC Sports. “Our hearts are with her and the entire Guthrie family as the search continues for their mother. We will share additional information about our Opening Ceremony coverage plans soon.”
The “Today” co-anchor was preparing to fly to Italy on Monday when “the worst phone call of her life” pivoted her in the opposite direction, an NBC producer who knows her told CNN. Instead of hosting the festivities alongside Terry Gannon and later with former “Today” co-host Hoda Kotb, Guthrie jumped on a plane to Tucson, Arizona, to support the search for her 84-year-old mom Nancy Guthrie.
Savannah Guthrie did not comment about the change in plans, but expressed gratitude Monday for everyone’s support.
“Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant,” Guthrie posted on Instagram. “Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment. Bring her home.”
Nancy Guthrie’s family reported her missing around noon Sunday after a church friend called one of her grown children to let them know she had not shown up to services. Family members, who had seen their mother just the night before, searched her home and found nothing, then called police, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nano recounted.
After an all-night search using drones, a helicopter, an airplane, search-and-rescue dogs and volunteers, it was apparent Guthrie’s home was a crime scene, Nano said. She had been taken against her will during the middle of the night while in bed asleep, authorities determined. A source familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press there were signs of forced entry.
Officials are asking the public to phone in with any tips and submit footage from doorbell cameras and anything else that could shed light on her disappearance. Though she is “sharp as a tack,” she has limited mobility due to health issues, Nano stated.
“Time really is of the essence,” he told MS Now’s Katy Tur on Monday. “She’s on some pretty serious meds. Her not being able to get to those meds could be fatal.”
With News Wire Services
