Jenna Bush Hager Reveals First Reaction to Meeting Husband Henry Hager

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Jenna Bush Hager wasn’t afraid to go after what she wanted.

The Today show host recently shared a personal story about how she first met her husband, Henry Hager, in the mid-2000s.

Jenna, who married Henry in 2008 after dating for four years, jokingly recalled her first impression of him on the Today With Jenna & Friends show on January 6th. She said when she saw him, she thought, ‘Naturally, the attractive one is already taken,’ but then decided she would do something about it.

Shocked by her confession, guest co-host Matt Rogers quickly asked, “And then what happened to her?” 

Jenna, 44,  quipped, “That sounded ominous. That sounded like the Texas cheerleader mystery.” 

Jenna ended up with Henry, despite what happened with his previous girlfriend. They’ve been married for 17 years and have three children: Mila, 12, Poppy, 10, and Hal, 6.

Jenna isn’t shy when it comes to sharing details about the early stages of her and Henry’s romance. 

She previously revealed that Henry, who worked for Jenna’s father, George W. Bush, when he was president, once attempted to distance himself from his White House job after one of their lively dates.

Jenna remembered that her parents were away when she and Henry went out. Their relationship had progressed to a more intimate level, and Henry was shocked to wake up and realize he worked for Jenna’s father, reacting with a surprised yell.

As for getting away with it? Henry didn’t. 

She added with a sigh of relief that everything was alright, explaining the Secret Service wasn’t worried about someone who was just a young man in the same clothes as the night before.

Despite her busy life, the former first daughter always makes time for her husband. She recently celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary with a heartfelt post, though it was a day after the actual date.

Jenna shared a photo on her Instagram Story in May of her and Henry at their wedding, with a caption reflecting on 17 years of tears and healing. She wrote, “Been drying my tears for 17 years yesterday.”

For more candid celebrity confessions, keep reading…

In June 2024, athlete Jason Kelce jokingly responded to a fan’s comment on social media, tweeting, “What kind of weirdo washes their feet…” after the fan observed that he appeared to not wash his legs or feet.

The retired Philadelphia Eagles player later doubled down on his comments.

On his podcast, New Heights with his brother Travis Kelce, he jokingly asked, “What kind of person washes someone else’s feet?” He then added that he’d only scrub them if he could actually see dirt.

Okay, so you might remember years ago when I shared a pretty wild story about my first circus experience? I talked about witnessing a clown tragically die in a car accident. Well, I have to admit, that didn’t actually happen. It was a story I made up, and I’m owning up to it now! Sometimes our memories play tricks on us, or we embellish things, and this was one of those times.

Robert remembered telling The New York Times Style Magazine in December 2024 that he reacted with complete surprise, saying, ‘What on earth? Are you possessed?’

As for what he said during the 2011 Today interview promoting his film Water for Elephants?

He explained that one of the clowns had died in an accident. Their small car, used for a joke during the show, unexpectedly exploded, causing everyone to panic and run for safety. It was a truly frightening experience.

Grandma knows best.

In an October 2022 episode of The Kardashians, Kim Kardashian shared a personal story about how her grandmother, Mary Jo “MJ” Campbell, unexpectedly played a role in a private moment with her then-boyfriend, Pete Davidson.

Kim Kardashian told MJ, Kris Jenner, and Khloé Kardashian that she and Pete Davidson were at the Beverly Hills Hotel last weekend. They were chatting by the fireplace for hours, and she remembered something her grandmother had told her: that having sex in front of a fireplace is a way to truly enjoy life. So, she and Pete decided to do just that, as a tribute to Kris.

Grandma’s reaction? A nod of approval.

It always struck me as a bit odd when Kim brought up thinking about your grandmother right before getting intimate, but MJ’s response always made sense – she just pointed out that everyone has a past and was once younger too!

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher have a very close family, including their children, 8-year-old Wyatt and 6-year-old Dimitri, and their love for each other is endless.

So much so, that the Black Swan actress revealed they keep an open-door policy at home.

She told TopMob News in September 2022 that this even extends to the bathroom. She explained that her family has simply accepted all normal bodily functions as a regular part of life, for better or worse, and the kids have grown up with that understanding.

You know, as a lifestyle expert, I always say it’s important to find peace and simplicity. I recently had a funny realization of that myself! My family kept ringing the doorbell, wanting to pop in, and honestly, after a while, I just thought, ‘You know what? Forget about the formalities!’ I decided to just leave the door open and let them come and go as they pleased. It was so much easier than constantly getting up and answering the door!

Pre-kids, she might not have imagined she’d flush that particular boundary away.

Honestly, hearing her say that just… wrecked me. It was such a small thing, but it felt HUGE. Like, she actually admitted she never imagined she’d be comfortable enough to… well, to not even need to close the door! It’s a total testament to how far she’s come, and it just makes me love her even more. I replay that little snippet in my head constantly, it’s so incredibly raw and real.

Ghouls just want to have fun.

During an October 2022 episode of The View, while discussing a woman who claimed her home was haunted by “sexual ghosts,” Sara Haines posed a surprising question to her co-hosts: “Is it possible to get pregnant from a ghost?”

Luckily, Joy Behar, her co-host, chimed in with a humorous response: “I’ve had encounters with ghosts and never gotten pregnant.”

“I’m going to leave that comment as is,” Whoopi Goldberg responded. “I’m not sure everyone heard what Joy said, but I’m choosing not to address it further.”

Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb are very close friends, but Hoda recently learned something surprising about her co-host on Today. While preparing for an episode of Today with Hoda and Jenna, Hoda found out that Jenna always goes without underwear.

Hoda recounted a funny moment from a November 2022 episode of Today with Hoda and Jenna. She explained that they both needed to quickly change outfits and had to return to the dressing room. While there, Hoda realized Jenna doesn’t wear underwear.

Jenna’s rationale? Well, no underwear might just be more convenient to her.

She explained that the outfit creates a more flattering shape and is also easier to pack. She added that there are many other benefits, too!

Looks like someone hasn’t been keeping up.

Britney Spears related to a popular line from Keke Palmer – “He could be walking down the street and I wouldn’t know a thing” – because she confessed she didn’t recognize Pete Davidson or Scott Disick.

Britney shared a funny video from March showing Pete Davidson—who was dating Kim Kardashian at the time—and Kourtney Kardashian’s ex, Scott Disick, having a night out together. She said the video had her laughing a lot.

Britney explained she was re-sharing the post because she didn’t know who was in the video, but it had made her laugh a lot!

Before Chris Evans became famous as Captain America and was named People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2022, Jana Kramer dated him and thought he was a charming and handsome guy.

The singer shared on her podcast, Whine Down with Jana Kramer, that this happened over ten years ago. While she doesn’t remember exactly how many times they went out, she does clearly remember their final meeting.

Jana, who was around 26 at the time, said Chris asked her to come over when he had some friends visiting from Boston.

Jana recalled that the last thing she remembered was her partner heading to the bathroom right after she’d used it, noting that eating asparagus can change the smell of urine. They didn’t end up intimate that night; he stayed up late with friends, and the next morning, Jana quietly left his house, feeling embarrassed.

She added, “I never heard from him again.”

Not all of these confessions are amusing.

I was shocked to learn in December that Elisabeth Finch, a writer I’d admired, revealed her story about having a rare bone cancer was fabricated. For years, she’d shared this deeply personal struggle in an ELLE article, and it even touched the storyline on Grey’s Anatomy. It’s incredibly unsettling to discover it was all a ruse after all this time.

Elisabeth recently shared with The Ankler newsletter that a lie she told at age 34 was the biggest regret of her life. She explained that the lie grew over time, becoming a heavy burden she kept hidden. She also clarified that she has never been diagnosed with cancer.

Oh my god, I’ve been following this whole thing with Finch, you know, from that medical show? It’s just… heartbreaking. He got put on leave, then ended up quitting, and when he finally spoke out, it was so raw. He basically just said he messed up, really messed up. He used some pretty strong language – he said what he did wasn’t okay, just… totally ‘fked up,’ and that all the words to describe it just fit. It’s awful, but at least he admitted it, you know?

Beauty is pain, but Kim Kardashian might be able to stomach it.

The reality star told The New York Times she’d consider almost any procedure to look younger, joking that she was open to trying everything.

She admitted in June that she’d even consider something truly unpleasant – like eating waste daily – if it meant she could look younger. She emphasized she was serious, saying, ‘I just might.’

Kim told Allure in July 2022 that she was mostly kidding when she made the comment, but admitted it wasn’t a completely awful idea.

Kim thought for a moment and then said, ‘Honestly, I’d probably eat something awful if someone promised it would make me look younger – even if it meant eating a bowl of poop every day.’

Oh my gosh, when they asked her how much she could possibly eat, she was SO cute! She said, ‘Maybe just a bite,’ and then, like, immediately added, ‘I don’t think I can do a whole bowl!’ It was the most adorable thing ever, seriously. I’m dying!

Jelly Roll could’ve used some saving from himself.

During an April 2025 interview on The Jennifer Hudson Show, the singer of “Save Me” shared a particularly embarrassing story, and he didn’t hesitate to tell all the details.

“I pooped myself one time,” he admitted. “I did, I’m sorry.”

To be honest, Jelly Roll (whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord) didn’t intend to cause so much harm.

He firmly believed it was just a harmless prank. “I sincerely apologize,” he said. “I saw the audience turn from supportive to completely against me.”

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2026-01-08 00:19