Today co-host Jenna Bush Hager got emotional on live television as she shared the challenges of juggling a demanding career with raising three children.
During the April 30 episode of Today with Jenna and Sheinelle, Hager—mother to Mila, 13, Poppy, 10, and Hal, 6—admitted she's been overwhelmed by her packed schedule, which includes hosting the daytime show, appearing in The Devil Wears Prada 2, and producing NBC's Protection.
"I have been working a lot because this has been shooting, and then I've had these big interviews and then all the book stuff," Hager told co-host Sheinelle Jones. "And so this morning when I woke up, I thought, 'OK, the next couple weeks, the next couple months, it's like kid-focused."
Fighting back tears, she added, "I'm like, how can I show up for Poppy in a way—now I'm crying. I don't know what's wrong with me."
Jones quickly wrapped Hager in a hug as she composed herself. "We're OK," Hager joked. "It may look like everything's great, but things are falling apart."
Jones, a mother of three who lost her husband Uche Ojeh to brain cancer in May 2025, offered reassurance. "We can't do it all at once," she said, "but we're doing it."
Jones also praised the Today family—including Hager, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, and Craig Melvin—for their support during her husband's illness. "When my husband was sick, they were my family," she shared in a recent interview. "Al was bringing breakfast sandwiches into hospice for us, Savannah was right with us after the first surgery. ... It's not just pretend."
Jones emphasized that their bonds extend beyond the cameras. "We do it when no one's watching," she said. "Nobody knew what I was going through—they all knew. Every day I was never alone."