'Today' host Jenna Bush Hager gets candid on-air as she opens up about nearly getting 'survivor' tattoo during breakup
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: ‘Today’ host and author Jenna Bush Hager recently spoke about one of her moments on-air when she almost got a back tattoo.
On Thursday, September 21 during the ‘Today with Hoda and Jenna’ segment, host Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager discussed various ways people handle significant life changes.
Hager also mentioned that in the past, she used to cope with heartbreak by projecting a different image of herself than what she truly felt inside.
This came after the first former daughter announced her exciting and inspiring job away from the ‘Today’ show.
It was revealed during a PopStart segment by Carson Daly, “Our buddy Jenna is launching a podcast. Of course, it's called Read With Jenna. Here's a special preview of the trailer."
Jenna Bush Hager on getting a back tattoo
On Thursday, Jenna Bush Hager got candid about her moment when she almost got a back tattoo while going through a breakup.
She said, “When I was heartbroken, I pushed myself out there, and drank or went out with people in order to present one way.”
She continued, “I think forcing yourself to put on something for other people is a waste of energy,” as her co-host Hoda Kotb agreed.
Hager then went on to share a specific anecdote about her coping process.
She recounted a time after a breakup when her friend, Tracy, persuaded her to go out. The night took an unexpected turn, with Hager trying to get the word "survivor" tattooed across her back.
Kotb screamed, “Wait, what!”
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Hager exclaimed, “The Destiny’s Child song was popular (at the time)”. She continued, “Thank you, Jesus, it was closed,” referring to a nearby tattoo parlor.
Hager asked Kotb, “Could you imagine if I had ‘Survivor’ tattooed?”
Kotb expressed her admiration for Tracy, saying, "By the way, I love Tracy. She dragged you out…everybody needs that friend."
Hager also opened up about her relationship history, mentioning that she had "ended up getting back together with the person about 47 times."
How did Jenna Bush Hager meet her husband, Henry?
Jenna Bush Hager is known for her various stories about her past and current love life, including how she met her husband, Henry Hager. Hager and Henry first met through mutual friends while he was working on President George W. Bush's 2004 re-election campaign.
However, their first official date had its complications. Hager recalled on ‘Today with Hoda & Jenna’ in February 2021 that their date took an unexpected turn when his car ran out of gas and rolled backward, accidentally hitting the Secret Service. She humorously described it as her worst first date.
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Despite the rocky start, Hager realized early on that Henry was the one for her. She mentioned on ‘Today with Hoda & Jenna’ in June 2020, "I do think one of the reasons why I knew really soon Henry was the one is I was completely myself, and he loved it."
After three months of dating, Hager proposed to Henry, and they officially got engaged in 2007. They tied the knot in 2008 at her parents' Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas.
Since then, Hager and Henry have welcomed three children into their family, Mila in 2013, Poppy in 2015, and Hal in 2019.
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