Savannah Guthrie opens up about return to TV, NBC announces comeback date
Savannah Guthrie will return to "Today" on Monday, April 6, NBC News announced on Friday.
Guthrie, who has been away from NBC’s flagship morning show since her mother, Nancy, went missing on Feb. 1, opened up about the decision during a multipart interview that has aired throughout the week.
"It’s hard to imagine doing it because it's such a place of joy and lightness, I can’t come back and try to be something that I’m not. But I can’t not come back, because it’s my family. I think it’s part of my purpose right now. I want to smile, and when I do, it will be real. And my joy will be my protest. My joy will be my answer, and being there is joyful, and when it’s not, I’ll say so," Guthrie told colleague Hoda Kotb.
"I consider this my family, and when times are hard you want to be with your family," she continued. "And so I don’t know if I can do it. I don’t know if I’ll belong anymore, but I would like to try. I would like to try."
Guthrie said she will not "be the same," but suggested "maybe it’s like that old poem: ‘More beautiful in the broken places.’"
Before talking about her own future, Guthrie said her family can’t move forward without knowing what happened to her mother.
"How can someone vanish without a trace? Someone knows something," Guthrie said.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE SAYS FAMILY IN 'AGONY' IN FIRST INTERVIEW SINCE MOTHER NANCY'S DISAPPEARANCE
The NBC News anchor also opened up about her faith during the emotional interview.
"God doesn’t tell us not to wrestle with it, this isn’t some cheap faith, and my mom taught me that. God only requires our authentic presence," Guthrie told Kotb.
"Faith is how I stay connected to my mom," she continued. "She taught me… I saw her grieve. I saw her world shatter, and I saw her get up."
Nancy Guthrie is believed to have been taken from her home against her will. Her son-in-law dropped her off at home around 10 p.m. the night before she went missing from the same home the "Today" co-anchor grew up in. In the early morning hours, a masked man appeared on her doorstep. He appeared to be armed with a handgun.
At around 2:30 a.m., her pacemaker made its last sync with her Apple devices, indicating a potential timeframe for when she was taken out of the home. Her watch and iPhone were recovered inside. She called the home her mom’s "safe haven," and said it was "really hard to see that violated" when she visited the crime scene.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE TELLS 'TODAY' THAT MOTHER NANCY'S BACK DOOR WAS 'PROPPED OPEN' IN NEW INTERVIEW
A series of unverified ransom notes were sent to media outlets, including TMZ and a local Tucson station, leading many to believe the disappearance is somehow financially motivated. No suspects have been publicly identified.
Savannah Guthrie vowed to be strong for her own children.
"I will not fall apart. I will not let whoever did this take my children’s mother from them," she said through tears.
"Our anguish is real, we need help, we need someone to tell the truth," she added. "I have no anger in my heart. I have hope in my heart. I have love. But this family needs peace."
The tragic ordeal has captivated the nation and has put the "Today" co-anchor at the center of a major news story. Kotb has been anchoring alongside Craig Melvin while Guthrie is away from the show. Guthrie visited Rockefeller Center on March 5 to meet with colleagues.
A reward of more than $1 million is being offered for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery. Anyone with information is urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz and Adam Sabes contributed to this report.