Jenna Bush Hager's Shocking Childhood Prank: Faked Kidnapping!

Jenna Bush Hager is sharing insight into her early brush with the Secret Service.

During the show “Today With Jenna & Friends”, the host reminisced about a prank she attempted as a child, which ultimately resulted in the intervention of federal agencies.

As a die-hard fan, I can’t help but share this fascinating tidbit: Back in first grade, I orchestrated a dramatic hoax – staging my own kidnapping! Yes, you read it right. I’m Jenna, daughter of none other than the esteemed former President George W. Bush and his gracious wife, Laura Bush. But let me spill the beans on the twist: My masterful scheme was swiftly thwarted by none other than the Secret Service! This revelation unfolded during an episode of a popular daytime talk show, hosted by the charming Bowen Yang on April 11. Quite a story, isn’t it?

In my account, the tale I once spun involves a man in a vehicle, accompanied by cute dogs and sweets. As a child during the time when Jenna’s grandfather, George H.W. Bush, served as Vice President and later President under Ronald Reagan, I found myself occasionally embellishing such stories.

She explained that she told the ’80s story because she got caught. After school, she had stayed longer than expected, and she feared her mother would be upset with her. Indeed, her mother was worried about where she was.

She added, “This was around the same time as Home Alone, so I might have been inspired.”

Following the collapse of her deception, Jenna – mother to Mila (11), Poppy (9), and Hal (5) with her partner Henry Hager – was assigned the responsibility of making amends for her mistake.

She mentioned that her mother knew she was being dishonest, yet the Secret Service didn’t, so she had to make an apology.

Jenna, who later became the daughter of a president in the early 2000s, didn’t succeed with her attempted fake kidnapping, but she did share that she and her twin sister, Barbara Bush, often amused themselves by playing pranks on their parents. They even had them refer to each other with whimsical cat names.

Back in our childhood days, my family would address us by our feline nicknames, as if we were purring kitties instead of humans! On the 17th of March, during the episode of Today With Jenna & Friends, I fondly reminisced about this peculiar tradition. You see, I was Rosebud. My mom went by Marmalade, my dad was affectionately known as Tummy Tuff, and though I can’t recall Barbara’s feline name at the moment, it was Stripes!

She added, “As we went, I’d head towards my folks. Now, that might sound peculiar. The more time passes, the more peculiar it seems. Yet, I’m a true feline at heart. I love to stretch out and relax. I enjoy asserting myself. I take pleasure in reading.

Read on to learn more about First Kids who have lived in the White House.

At the age of nearly thirteen, Chelsea Clinton resided in the White House along with her mother and father, Hillary Clinton, who was then serving as the First Lady, and Bill Clinton, who held the position of President.

And what does any tween girl need to do ASAP? Decorate her room, of course!

Apart from pictures of her loved ones and companions, this ardent basketball enthusiast cherished her Michael Jordan poster. She had adorned it with some unique, sticky material, explaining to TopMob News in 2021, “I used that stuff so it wouldn’t damage the walls.

In her stay at the White House, she often hosted sleepovers where friends would join; these gatherings frequently led to requests for pizza delivery, causing quite a stir with the secret service, as her mom shared during an interview with James Corden in 2019. She also attended ballet classes and participated in regular family meals.

In the year 2021, Chelsea (mother of daughter Charlotte, sons Aidan and Jasper with husband Mark Mezvinsky) stated on the PEOPLE Every Day podcast that her parents frequently returned to work after dinner. However, they considered this period as precious “family time,” a sacred tradition for them.

Before her father completed his term in office, Chelsea had graduated from the private Sidwell Friends School in Bethesda, Maryland. Subsequently, she enrolled at Stanford University and earned her bachelor’s degree in history. Later, she pursued further education, obtaining a Master of Philosophy from Oxford and a Master of Public Health from Columbia.

On the talk show PEOPLE Every Day, Chelsea explained, “I was frequently questioned about if I had ever run away. To clarify, I never did run away. I understand they had a responsibility, and I didn’t want to make their job more difficult or cause unnecessary stress for my parents.

In 2016, on The Alli Simpson Show, Chelsea shared that her childhood was not as extraordinary as people might think, yet she always recognized its unique aspect. She said, “It seemed more ordinary and normal, but I was also acutely aware of the privilege it was to be a part of White House history and American history.

They were familiar with the White House’s ways since their grandfather, George H.W. Bush, was president from 1989 to 1993. However, President George W. Bush and his wife Laura Bush’s twin daughters, Barbara Bush and Jenna Bush, were college students aged 19 when their parents took residence in the White House.

But as first kids, they were still in the spotlight from afar.

In the year 2001, they were both charged with underage drinking violations in their home state, Texas. They each opted for a ‘no contest’ plea and were assigned to perform community service as punishment, generating numerous news headlines.

In their shared memoir, Sisters First: Stories From Our Wild and Wonderful Life, published in 2017, Jenna commented that she favored the cover of the New York Post. She appreciated it more because it featured a superior image (a big thank you for that) and nicknamed her as ‘Jenna and Tonic’.

However, given no PR crisis expert or damage control team, they eventually understood that, as Jenna put it, “our lives can continue despite our imperfections.

In the remainder of their academic journeys, Jenna completed her English degree at the University of Texas at Austin and Barbara earned her B.A. in Humanities from Yale, both experiences proceeding smoothly without any major issues or incidents.

In their book, Jenna described them as frequent practical jokers. For instance, Barbara once faked falling off a golf cart at Camp David to amuse themselves, but in reality, they only managed to frighten the Secret Service agents.

Jenna explained to Andy Cohen on “Watch What Happens Live” in 2020 that there wasn’t a roadmap or guidebook for their lives, as their father simply encouraged them to experience college life like regular students. However, he quickly realized that they couldn’t lead a typical college lifestyle.

As the twins, having spent eight remarkable years as the first daughters, I found myself becoming exceptionally vigilant towards my successors, Malia and Sasha Obama. In a heartfelt letter penned in 2009, Jenna and Barbara, former first daughters themselves, offered guidance to the newcomers of our exclusive circle. They reminded us that navigating this unique path wouldn’t always be a breeze, but urged us to remember the genuine essence of our father.

In the year 2009, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama’s daughters Malia and Sasha, who were 10 and 7 years old respectively, moved from Chicago to the White House along with Marian Robinson, Michelle’s mother. During this time, Sasha became the youngest first child to reside in the White House since the Kennedys, with Caroline Kennedy (aged 3) and John F. Kennedy Jr (3 months old).

And so the quest to both protect and prepare them—for life as first daughters and beyond—began.

Michelle expressed on the “Moments That Make Us” podcast with Melinda French Gates in July 2024 that she had to nurture her children to become self-reliant individuals, given her status as the daughters of a former president. She emphasized that society is often quick to judge if a child doesn’t fit the mold and they have a well-known name, so they need to present themselves in an impressive manner.

She went on to clarify that Malia and Sasha had to master the art of handling unwanted attention graciously while maintaining their own identities amidst public scrutiny. They needed to thrive in the limelight without allowing it to consume them. From an early age, they were expected to be intelligent, self-assured, and self-reliant, even though they grew up with staff like butlers, maids, and florists at home. However, I was always mindful that they wouldn’t live there or with me forever, so I had to prepare them to take charge of their lives as soon as possible.

Within those walls resided an ordinary-like family. It wasn’t until they moved into the White House that they lived together every day of the week, as the first lady shared with People in 2016. This arrangement allowed them to share meals, the president found time to coach their sports teams, and attend all their activities.

But the kids, she added, were also “ready to get out, just out from their parents’ house.”

Malia and Sasha both went to Sidwell Friends School. Malia graduated in 2016 before the end of her father’s second term and then took a gap year before joining Harvard University in 2017. On the other hand, Sasha started at the University of Michigan in 2019 but later transferred to USC, graduating in 2023.

Following her college graduation in 2021, Malia began working in the writers’ room for the Amazon Prime series “Swarm.” Known as Malia Ann in her professional circle, she directed her debut short film, titled “The Heart,” which was showcased at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

In a very unusual public statement, Malia expressed that she had never embarked on anything similar during her first appearance on the red carpet at the 50th annual Deauville American Film Festival in France. To Paris Match, she confessed being somewhat anxious yet predominantly thrilled.

The 26-year-old mentioned that she was sporting Vivienne Westwood, adding, “I may not be a fashion expert, but I’m delighted to don this clothing.

At the start of 2017, when President Donald Trump took up residence in the White House, Melania Trump, the first lady, chose to remain with their son Barron Trump, who was then 11 years old, at Trump Tower in Manhattan. This was so that he could complete his school year before they made the move together.

Over the next four years, Barron went to the private St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac, Maryland. He played soccer and grew significantly taller than both of his parents, reaching a reported height of 6-foot-7 by the time he turned 18 in March 2024.

Apart from sharing his father’s passion for golf, as mentioned by his mother, Donald Trump had praised his youngest son’s computer skills back in 2015.

Apart from making appearances at the 2016 and 2020 Republican National Conventions alongside his father, Barron had been largely detached from political events. However, he was unable to attend the 2024 RNC due to prior obligations, as stated by his mother. Yet, on July 9 in Doral, Fla., he made his first appearance at a Trump rally. Despite not delivering any speech, he greeted the crowd with waves and thumbs-ups.

Instead of following the family tradition of attending either University of Pennsylvania (like his father, half-brother Donald Trump Jr., and half-sister Ivanka Trump) or Georgetown (as Eric Trump did), Barron chose to enroll at NYU’s Stern School of Business in the fall of 2024.

2025-04-12 00:19

Jenna Bush Hager’s Shocking Childhood Prank: Faked Kidnapping!

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