Jenna Bush Hager, 41, has come under fire a few times over the years, so she must know a thing or two about what causes a stir with the viewers at home. We think this is why she immediately apologized after making a joke about having an affair on Today, despite it seemingly being very obvious that it was a light-hearted comment that was meant to be taken in jest.
The incident took place on the Monday, October 16th episode of Today With Hoda & Jenna when Jenna – who has been married to Henry Hager for 15 years and with whom she shares three children – was telling co-host Hoda Kotb, 59, about how much she loved men who read books, referring to it as an attractive quality. This makes sense seeing as she has her own Read with Jenna book club, which celebrated its fourth anniversary earlier this year.
Hoda and Jenna are chatting about an article that says the hottest thing a man can do is read.
“I’m dehydrated when a man takes out a book,” Jenna said. Do you think a man reading makes him more attractive? pic.twitter.com/dvBcgikr6L
— TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) October 9, 2023
Jenna Bush Hager And Hoda Kotb Talk About How Reading Books Is An Attractive Quality
Kotb said the sight of a man engrossed in a book is “hot,” which Bush Hager wholeheartedly agreed with. She told her co-host and the viewers at home that she becomes “dehydrated when a man takes out a book,” but things took a turn when Kotb asked her an interesting hypothetical question…
Kotb asked: “OK, you see a man with a book sitting on a park bench in Central Park reading, what is the first thing you’re thinking?” And Bush Hager joked: “If they have little eyeglasses too, just sitting reading, and if they’re reading something I respect? I mean that could be a means for an affair.”
Jenna Bush Hager Says She Went 'Too Far' With 'Affair' Comment
Since Jenna has caused a stir on quite a few occasions in the past, she immediately tried to do damage control and reiterate that her affair comment was a joke.
"I would never," she said, adding: "Henry and I are very happy, and he reads." Kotb then asked her friend and co-host why she was getting "defensive" about her earlier comment – presumably because she also knew that it was a joke – to which she replied: "Because I shouldn't have said that! I went too far."
