Jenna Bush Hager is having a grand time these days on “Today's” fourth hour. The expectant mom for the third time is both glowing and showing as she prepares for the arrival of her son with Henry Hager. She has been wearing bright colors and an even brighter smile, as she did earlier this week in her red-orange cape dress at the CFDA awards.
Hager looked stylish this morning, June 7, in a jacket splashed with summer colors over her black top and leggings. Willie Geist was on hand as Jenna Bush Hager's broadcast buddy in morning banter. The fourth hour of “Today” can be quite a departure from the heavy-hitting politics that Geist mediates in the earlier morning hours on MSNBC's “Morning Joe.” Somehow, though, Willie and Jenna managed to share bittersweet and fun stories on being at the receiving end of a breakup.
Being dumped is never easy, but Jenna Bush Hager and Willie Geist can attest that bumps along the road of love can lead to happy endings. When it comes to translating today's cyber relationship terms, however, even these seasoned pros in television were left clueless.
Not even groceries did the trick
Both of these NBC broadcasters are doting parents, who frequently share photos and stories of their lives at home. Jenna Bush Hager has been married to Henry Chase Hager for nearly 11 years, after several years of less committed courting. She lovingly calls him “Hank” and they love quiet times together with their girls, Mila and Poppy, whenever possible as very “hands-on” parents.
One would think that bearing groceries and being the daughter of a former president would have some positive pull on a guy, but according to Jenna, the provisions didn't pan out for her.
She described a scene of being dumped on the front porch of a former boyfriend, with grocery bags still in hand.
“He did that to you while you still had the Kroger bags?” Willie Geist inquired.
Leaving behind the generous offering, Jenna Bush Hager walked on, to find her more blissful future.
Willie Geist has been married to his wife, Christina, since 2003, but the Illinois native and son of CBS veteran journalist, Bill Geist, has been attached to his love since they were in sixth grade.
Willie admits that the two have never endured any catastrophic breakups through their long history, but there have been numerous “small breakups” that were always resolved with the help of Christina's little sister.
Even when Christina’s younger sister, Julia, was only six years old, she still knew how to melt the heart of Willie Geist faster than Valentine chocolate on a hot day.
“Willie, why don't you like us?” Julia would call with her best child inquisition voice.
“I'll be right over,” Geist would always reply, ready to heal any rift.
Reading between the lines of modern relationship-speak wasn't so easy for the co-hosts, who didn't always pick up on the cues in a test of modern relationships.
It's a happy Friday with @WillieGeist by our side 👏 pic.twitter.com/liEHN4evma
— TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) June 7, 2019
Learning the lingo
Jenna Bush Hager was on the right track with “career zoned,” tying the phrase to being like a “work friend.” The term denotes someone with no romantic interest in a person but one who still wants a professional relationship.
Willie and Jenna were both on the mark with “textual chemistry,” fully aware of those who are great with typing catchy phrases and not so warm in person.
“Soul mining” and “owl” stumped both the co-hosts with social media histories. “Soul mining” is going far too deep much too early in a prospective relationship, and an “owl” is someone who makes contact in the cyber sense at an hour when generally, no one is available to respond, such as 2 AM.
Jenna Bush Hager and Willie Geist are still in their personal and professional primes, and even then they don't know every meaningful word in the cyber world, they still connect with each other just fine.