'Today' host Jenna Bush Hager recalls 'purple lipstick' days when parents 'completely gave up' on her
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: ‘Today’ host and author Jenna Bush Hager has always been open about her personal life and often shares hilarious anecdotes with her fans. Recently, the former first daughter made a surprising revelation about the time her parents "gave up on her."
During a ‘Today with Hoda and Jenna’ segment, Hager explained why her parents George W and Laura Bush completely gave up on her at one point during her youth.
Hager is married to Henry Chase Hager, who works as the managing director at Waterous Energy Find. The couple tied the knot in May 2008.
Why did Jenna Bush Hager's parents give up on her?
During Wednesday’s ‘Today’ episode, Jenna Bush Hager reminisced about her high school days during a conversation with her co-host Hoda Kotb. The discussion revolved around the emerging trend of AI yearbooks gaining popularity on social media platforms.
Hager humorously shared her adolescent photo experiences, highlighting the awkwardness of those years. Alongside Kotb, Hager paid $9.99 to use the EPIK smartphone app, which automatically generated 1990s-style yearbook pictures of the morning show hosts.
However, Hager confessed that the AI-generated photo wasn't an exact replica of her younger self.
She said, “I loved picture day, but it's so sad because if we actually had pictures of what we looked like, especially in elementary school.”
Hager revealed that she was “kind of chubby, and had glasses.”
The producers surprised viewers by flashing Hager’s actual ninth-grade yearbook photo on air.
Kotb complimented her choker necklace, reminiscing about the trend, saying, "I like your choker. Those were in. Everyone was wearing those," appreciating Hager’s trendy aesthetic from that era.
While reflecting on her past life, Hager revealed, “I also wore this kind of dark purple lipstick."
Kotb inquired if Hager’s parents had permitted her to wear the lipstick.
Hager candidly revealed, "[My parents] had just completely given up by that point. Eighth grade really put them over the edge."
Jenna Bush Hager’s emotional birthday
In a touching 2020 episode of ‘Today with Hoda & Jenna’, Jenna Bush Hager was brought to tears when she received a surprise visit from her parents, along with other family members and friends, during a live broadcast.
This heartfelt moment occurred as Hager celebrated her 39th birthday while grappling with the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, which had forced her to remain separated from her loved ones.
Her mom, Laura, conveyed warm wishes, saying, "Jenna, your dad and I are here together to wish you a very happy birthday. We miss you, and we wish we could be with you on your birthday this year."
Former President George W Bush added, "Jenna, Happy birthday, girl. We're very proud of you, and we love you."
Hager’s twin sister, Barbara, also joined in the celebration with a heartfelt message, saying, "Happy birthday, sissy. There is no one in the world that I would rather share a birthday with."