Hoda Kotb Reportedly Being Forced out From ‘Today’ for MSNBC Replacement, But Is It True?

Whether we like it or not, gossip surrounding our favorite morning shows is a hot staple for tabloids, even if there is plenty of evidence disproving such headlines. Today Show anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb have become frequent targets as of lately, with constant rumors about a “rift” between the two. A more recent National Enquirer story claimed Guthrie was trying to push Kotb from the show and get her replaced with MSNBC anchor Nicolle Wallace.

“Savannah runs the show,” a supposed source told the National Enquirer, adding that Kotb was “pushed” to the side. Guthrie is allegedly stopping Kotb from bringing Kathie Lee Gifford back to replace Jenna Bush Hager on the third hour of Today. This is all not true, notes Gossip Cop. (Plus, why would Gifford want to go back to New York when she lives in Nashville, happily working on her own projects?)

The source claims Hager is Guthrie’s “closest ally,” and there is “no way” she would let Kotb work with Gifford again. Guthrie wants Wallace to replace Kotb as the lead co-anchor on Today. “Nicolle and Savannah are old friends from their days together in Washington, and it was Jenna’s father, President George W. Bush, who’d hired Nicolle as communications director at the White House,” a source is quoted as saying. “The three of them couldn’t be tighter.”

The National Enquirer‘s story also folds in the idea that Guthrie and Kotb hate each other, a rumor that tabloids love pushing. On June 29, a source close to Today told The Sun the two stars “can’t stand each other off camera and the being friends on TV is just an act. Guthrie “thinks of herself as a real news person,” the source said, while Kotb is seen as “the lightweight that drank wine with Kathy Lee Gifford.” (Kotb’s career in journalism began in 1986, so it’s unclear why anyone would consider her a “lightweight.”)

Guthrie, 50, and Kotb, 58, have spoken about their offscreen relationship before. In May, they told Good Housekeeping they connected as women who both had long journeys to parenthood. “It’s amazing to be in a very high-pressure job but also have someone who understands the other high-pressure job you have and can carry it with you,” Guthrie said. “They’re not going to judge if you are bringing some of that to work.”

Guthrie also wished Kotb a happy birthday on Tuesday, sharing a whole gallery of the two. “She is our sunshine. Happy birthday,” Guthrie wrote. Hager also wished Kotb a happy birthday, writing, “May we all roll with life the way this bright light does – [Kotb] Happiest birthday – how we love you.”