Savannah Guthrie to miss Winter Olympics after mother's kidnapping

NBC announced Wednesday that Savannah Guthrie will not participate in covering the Winter Olympics as she focuses on her family following her mother«s kidnapping. In a statement, the network said: «Savannah will not be joining us at the Olympics as she wants to be with her family during this difficult time. Our hearts are with her and the entire Guthrie family as the search for her mother continues.»

Savannah«s 84-year-old mother, Nancy, was last seen Saturday around 9:30 p.m., and she was reported missing the next day around noon. Authorities quickly confirmed that there were alarming signs of a crime at her home in Arizona. It was later determined that Nancy had been kidnapped from her residence.

According to media reports, law enforcement sources said that blood and signs of a break-in were found in Nancy«s home.

Investigators are checking registered sex offenders and other individuals in the area around Nancy«s home, as well as reviewing video footage. Savannah has asked the public to pray for her mother.

Guthrie has regularly hosted the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in the past, including the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the Winter Games in Beijing in 2022.

This is not the first time she has declined to cover the Olympics for personal reasons: in 2016, she did not go to Rio de Janeiro because of her pregnancy and concerns over the Zika virus.