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Did George W Bush struggle with 'alcohol issues'? 'Today' host Jenna Bush Hager shares how she spoke to daughter, 10, about Matthew Perry's death

On 'Today' show, Jenna Bush Hager opened up about the need to talk about drugs and alcohol to children while addressing the death of Matthew Perry

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Jenna Bush Hager has spoken up about how her father, former President George W Bush, struggled with his habit of drinking and how it helped her talk about Matthew Perry's death to her 10-year-old daughter, Mila.

On October 30, Jenna and Hoda Kotb paid tribute to the late 'Friends' actor, who died in an apparent drowning on October 28 at the age of 54, though an official cause of death has yet to be determined.

The co-hosts discussed Perry's battle with addiction, which he candidly acknowledged in his 2022 memoir, 'Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing', leading to Jenna discussing how her father struggled to quit drinking when she and her twin sister, Barbara Bush, were just children.

What did Jenna Bush Hager share about her father George W Bush?

On the 'Today' show, Jenna Bush Hager spoke to her co-host Hoda Kotb about George W Bush's past struggles with alcohol, saying, "My dad quit drinking when I was five. I don’t remember him ever drinking in front of me, although he did."

She added, "And it’s interesting what having somebody that’s had alcohol issues in your family does for conversation. I feel like probably some households were discussing Matthew Perry and keeping it quiet in front of the kids." 

Jenna mentioned that her oldest daughter, Mila, couldn't understand why Perry's death was deemed tragic given that he had been so beloved.

"Mila said, ‘Why is it so sad? He was a comedian. Everybody loved him. Why?’," recounted Jenna, continuing, "And I said, ‘Mila, he dealt with a lot of addiction issues'." 

Even though the former POTUS had drinking issues for years before quitting, he never considered himself an alcoholic. In 1976, he was even arrested for driving while intoxicated near his family's house in Kennebunkport, Maine.

Previously, George has spoken openly about how, following a boozy weekend celebrating his 40th birthday in 1986, he gave up alcohol cold turkey. After meeting the late Reverend Billy Graham in the 1980s, Bush said the evangelist gave him the fortitude to quit.

In a 2018 interview with the Wall Street Journal, the 43rd POTUS, who served from 2001 to 2009, said, "God’s work within me began in earnest with Billy’s outreach. His care and his teachings were the real beginning of my faith walk and the start of the end of my drinking," as per Daily Mail. 

He continued, "I couldn’t have given up alcohol on my own. But in 1986, at 40, I finally found the strength to quit. That strength came from love I had felt from my earliest days and from faith I didn’t fully discover until my later years."

On a 2020 episode of ‘Today’ show, Jenna disclosed an honest conversation she had with her father about his drinking. She remembered him taking her aside when she was younger to tell her that drinking could take over her life, just like it had done for him.

"I'll never forget. I was in Maine for my cousin's wedding when we were in our early 20s, which, you know, in your early 20s you go out. At a wedding, you celebrate, you stay late," recalled Jenna.

She continued, "My dad said, ‘Let's go for a walk.’ And we went for a walk and he said, ‘You know, I just want to talk to you about drinking. I found in my life it got in the way of the things that mattered most, and I want to make sure that you just know that it can and be aware of it'."

"I think at the time, I was probably like, ‘I'm not even that hungover,’ or whatever it was," admitted Jenna, adding, "But I do think it was such a model to me about how I want to parent, which is to be transparent about either things that have happened in our family's past or things that can happen to your kids'." 

"I'll never forget we were walking, and he said, ‘I just want you to know there was a point in my life where I thought this is interrupting what's beautiful'," noted the 'Today' host. 

She further explained, "He didn't go to AA. He didn't, although it's helped so many people. But he just knew it was interrupting his dreams and interrupting his parenting."

The candid father-daughter exchange most likely took place at her cousin George P Bush's wedding to Amanda Williamson in Maine in 2004, when she and her sister were 22.

Jenna Bush Hager urges parents to talk to their children about drugs and alcohol

Jenna Bush Hager's co-host, Hoda Kotb, highlighted the significance of the former president's decision to share his vulnerable side with his daughter. This act of emotional transparency is noteworthy in that many individuals may find it difficult to share their personal stories in such a candid manner.

"I always appreciated it. I still do," stated Jenna, adding, "Parenting is tedious and can be difficult, and it can be easy to open that bottle of wine at 5 o'clock on a Monday, but I catch myself because I've had those conversations." 

She noted, "I try not to for my kids and for me." 

Jenna also urged other parents to talk to their children about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, saying, "I’m no parenting expert, but I do feel like we have to talk to our kids about what alcohol and drugs (do) — not glamorize it, because they can see that too on TV." 

Kotb supported Jenna on her stance and said, "When there is something like that, (you should) have a conversation about it. Anything that’s a secret is going to be a problem." 

Moreover, Jenna pointed out that there's shame associated with substance abuse that keeps people from being honest about it and added, "I want the opposite of being 12 and feeling so alone that you’re drinking like that. I want them to know that if there’s alcohol, it is not good for you, especially for children."