Given the February abduction of Savannah's mother Nancy, many viewers were concerned that she may have received bad news.
By ALEX HAMMER, US MEDIA CORRESPONDENT
Updated: 16:39 BST, 17 April 2026
It was a rumor that spread across the internet like wildfire. Social media users claimed to have seen Savannah Guthrie disappear from Wednesday’s edition of Today halfway through a chat with Anne Hathaway.
Given the February abduction of Savannah’s mother Nancy Guthrie, many speculated that she may have received an update.
But the rumor was entirely false, with Savannah back on air 20 minutes later for a cooking segment.
An industry source further told the Mail: 'It's not unusual for a host to tease an upcoming segment at any point, and for another host to do the interview.'
But the sudden switch spawned an avalanche of speculation.
'Maybe she got a call and was going to leave after the last set?' one X user wrote.
Others saw the occurrence as 'odd' as well.
The rumors gained traction thanks to a widely viewed post from one X account, the Crimewives Club. The profile regularly shares updates for ongoing investigations.
Savannah Guthrie segued to an interview with A-lister Anne Hathaway on Wednesday's Today before disappearing
The sudden switch spawned rumors that something was happening in the search for the anchor's missing mother, which ended up being false
'Savannah wasn’t seen again on the show until the last minute or so,' they wrote in the post, which received nearly 1million views within hours.
'Definitely strange, and odd to return for the last minute, unless just trying to not let on to anyone,' one person responded.
'She didn’t leave, she just wasn’t present for one segment,' another X user pointed out,' before echoing the Mail's source.
Nancy has been missing since February 1. She was last seen at her home in Tucson, Arizona, on the evening of January 31.
A Pima County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson, on Thursday, told the Mail there are no new updates in the case and that it remains ongoing. No arrests have been made.
Savannah, meanwhile, made her return to the Today set last week. She stepped away during the initial months of the search.
'It's good to be back home,' she told viewers at the outset of her April 6 return.
Sources told Variety a few days before that the Today team was planning to 'play it by ear' for Savannah's return, at least initially.
Nancy Guthrie (right) went missing on February 1, which saw Guthrie temporarily leave her post
Savannah made her return to the Today set last week. She stepped away during the initial months of the search
A preliminary stretch will see showrunners work segments specifically around Savannah as the search continues, the sources said. The spell may also see her limited to stories that aren't about crime or violence, one of the insiders said.
Today's usual lighthearted, comedic tone could also be toned down, the same source said.
The Mail has approached NBC News for comment.