Has Jenna Bush Hager ever been arrested? ‘Today’ host has been open about the time underage drinking got her into trouble
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Jenna Bush Hager, who is the daughter of former President George W Bush and has gained fame as the host of 'Today', has always been vocal about her personal life and often shares stories about her family and hilarious experiences with her father, former President George W Bush on various talk shows.
Hager once got candid about an incident on ‘Today’ show, talking about the time she apparently got arrested for underage drinking with her twin sister Barbara Bush, and how they got busted for it.
The ‘Today’ alum shared the surprising and unexpected reaction of her father after she got caught underage drinking while he was in the ‘Today’ show office back in 2001.
Why was ‘Today’ host Jenna Bush Hager arrested?
Hager was a college student at the University of Texas in Austin in 2001. There, she used a fake ID to purchase alcohol less than a month after she was busted for possession of alcohol as a minor.
She revealed, “Barbara and I were together. I think we were like 19 and a half, maybe 20, close enough but not allowed [to drink]”.
She continued to explain, “The fact that we thought we could do that just speaks to how [our parents] were like, "Oh, you can be normal, it's OK.””
She admitted that it was a “stupid” thing for her and her sister to do, being underage and the daughters of the President.
She further said, “When I called my dad to say, ‘I'm really sorry... I got this ticket for drinking underage,’ he said, ‘No, I'm sorry.’ We did embarrass [our parents], but they never would say that. He said, ‘I'm sorry, I told you [that] you can be normal, and you can't. You can't order margaritas.’”
She went on to share intimate details about her arrest, stating that the police picked her up in April 2001 for drinking a beer in a club. She chose to plead no contest to the charge of possessing alcohol underage.
Hager said that she was ordered to pay $51.25 in court costs including serving eight hours of community service and attending an alcohol awareness class.
The following month, while visiting Jenna in Austin from Yale University, Barbara and her were arrested for trying to buy alcohol at Chuy's, a Mexican chain restaurant.
The restaurant's manager had alerted the authorities after noticing a group that seemed underage ordering alcoholic drinks. Barbara had already been served, resulting in an underage possession charge.
Meanwhile, Hager attempted to use a borrowed ID from someone of legal drinking age, leading to her rejection and further legal implications.
What was Jenna Bush Hager’s father former President George W Bush's reaction to her arrest?
Hager has shared that during her teenage years, her father displayed a supportive stance when she made significant mistakes.
In a discussion on the ‘Today with Hoda and Jenna’ segment, she recalled her incident where she had to confess to her father, George W Bush about being apprehended for underage drinking.
Hager said, “We embarrassed [our parents] — although they never said it — on the world stage. We got in trouble with the law!”
She continued, “The first time I had a public failure, I called my dad, and I was crying and I apologized to him. I got a minor in possession of alcohol when I was 19. And I felt embarrassed, and I felt really badly for him because I thought this is going to make him look bad”.
Jenna Bush Hager says she was ‘naive’ back in her college days
In her 2017 memoir titled ‘Sisters First’, co-authored with her twin sister Barbara, Hager openly revealed an incident that took place during their college days.
Hager confessed to having influenced her sister's actions by taking her to a restaurant where they attempted to order alcoholic drinks. She detailed the scenario where she tried to use an ID given to her by an older student at the University of Austin.
Hager highlighted, “One of the big things to do at the University of Texas at Austin... was for older girls, who had already turned 21, to give the younger ones their IDs. Of course, the reason why you might want an ID before you were 21 was to drink alcohol,” according to Radar Online.
She said, “When you're a college student, you are more preoccupied with who's having a party or who's playing beer pong than if your fake ID will land you in the tabloids. I never stopped to consider, ‘Oh, wait a minute, now that my dad is president, people are going to recognize me’”.
She and Barbara, accompanied by friends, visited Chuy's restaurant, where they observed that “everyone was ordering margaritas.” Encouraged by the environment, the twins decided to do the same.
However, Hager’s attempt to use a borrowed ID came across as “naive” according to her as she didn't anticipate that the staff would recognize her or that her actions might draw attention.
She humorously speculated, “Yes, I was actually that naive. Knowing me back then, I had probably requested the table for Jenna Bush, the party of three," she wrote in her book, adding, "Even Barbara, the Ivy Leaguer in our group, didn't stop to consider how much more recognizable we were as our twin selves, two together rather than one.”