Awkward Today Show Moments That Happened Live
January 14, 1952. That's the day the "Today" show debuted, so it shouldn't be surprising that there's a long list of awkward moments that happened on live television. Remember when Ann Curry was fired in 2012, for example, and gave a tearful goodbye? The awkwardness was palpable, and the way the termination was handled is something "Today" show decision-makers will probably never live down. Another uncomfortable moment came when Aubrey Plaza and Adam DiMarco stopped by "Today" in 2022 to promote their HBO show "The White Lotus."
The interview was shortly before Halloween, which is presumably why Plaza was wearing a witch hat and DiMarco a wizard hat. But when "Today" hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager asked the actors about the headwear, they only wanted to talk about "The White Lotus." Later, some viewers called the interview strange and said that Plaza seemed annoyed.
But not all of the awkward moments on "Today" came during celebrity interviews because some happened due to on-air flubs or when personal information about one of the hosts was shared. Now, if you're ready to see what other awkward moments went down, let's begin.
Kathie Lee Gifford had to apologize to Martin Short
It was obvious that Kathie Lee Gifford felt horrible after interviewing Martin Short when he was promoting his animated film "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" in 2012. That's because she didn't realize that his wife Nancy Dolman died of ovarian cancer two years prior. Before making the huge error, Gifford spoke of Short's children, then she brought up his late wife.
"You and Nancy have got one of the greatest marriages of anybody in show business. How many years for you guys?" asked Gifford on "Today," before Short answered 36 years. She followed that up by saying the actor and his wife were still in love and asked him why. The "Father of the Bride" star said it's because he's "cute" before the conversation moved on to something else.
Meanwhile, co-host Hoda Kotb, who was also part of the interview, failed to stop or correct Gifford, so it's possible that she too was in the dark about Dolman's passing. Short told Gifford about his wife after the interview concluded, which led to a big apology from her after the commercial break. Gifford also apologized to Short and his family on Twitter. But later, in an interview with E! News, Short said the error wasn't spiteful so he was okay with the veteran TV host. "On live television, people make mistakes. There's no ill will intended," he explained.
Savannah Guthrie got all potty-mouthed
Sometimes when people forget they're wearing a microphone or being filmed, things end up pretty bad for them. Take Billy Bush who was fired by NBC News in 2016 after a 2005 video of him and then-presidential candidate Donald Trump leaked. The clip shows both men having a vulgar conversation about women and there was plenty of backlash afterward.
But when something Savannah Guthrie said over a hot mic made headlines, it didn't seem like she faced consequences at work, nor was she heavily criticized. Her awkward error happened live on-air in 2018 when she was reading something while seemingly preparing for a segment. But Guthrie must've forgotten that she wasn't only wearing a microphone — there was a camera on her because she dropped the S-bomb.
She then apologized to whoever in the studio heard it, which preceded a message to the viewers, sent later that morning. "Check, check — is this thing on? Yeah I guess it is," tweeted Guthrie. "So sorry guys. Thanks for being kind and understanding. And guess it's good thing I don't wear a mic all day." Again, fans seemed to get a kick out of the whole thing and sent the TV host some kind words.
Matt Lauer bickered with Tom Cruise
Scientology, psychiatry, and Katie Holmes. Those were the topics that were brought up during Matt Lauer's 2005 interview with Tom Cruise, which created an awkward tension between the two. At the time, Cruise was plugging his Steven Spielberg-directed film "War of the Worlds." He was also in a much-publicized relationship with Katie Holmes. Undoubtedly, Cruise jumping on the couch during an Oprah Winfrey interview certainly contributed to the chatter about his personal life. Plus, shortly before the interview with Lauer, the film star criticized Brooke Shields for taking the antidepressant Paxil while he was speaking to "Access Hollywood."
So, after "War of Worlds" was discussed on "Today," Lauer brought up Holmes and asked if the publicity surrounding their relationship would help the film become successful. The question seemed to annoy Cruise, but he'd show even more frustration after Lauer brought up his condemnation of Shields.
"I never agreed with psychiatry, ever. Before I was a Scientologist I never agreed with psychiatry," Cruise stated. "You got to understand, I really care about Brooke Shields ... and I want to see her do well and I know that psychiatry is a pseudoscience." Lauer gave the actor some pushback while defending Shields, which led to Cruise saying he knew all about the history of psychiatry and Lauer didn't. He then called the former morning host "glib." Let's just say the interview wasn't one of Cruise's finest moments.
Jenna Bush Hager was outed by her daughter
When Jenna Bush Hager's nine-year-old daughter Mila appeared on "Today With Hoda & Jenna" in December 2022, she made quite the impression. For one, she wasn't shy, and on top of that, she was well-spoken for her age. But none of those things are why she left such a mark on the show. It had to do with Mila embarrassing her mother by revealing some pretty personal information about her. "One time she was laughing in our living room and she peed her pants, and you changed your pajamas," she said about the former First Daughter.
Hager responded by sarcastically thanking her daughter, who wasn't done making her mom blush because from there – she told everyone that her mom never wears underwear. "She's not wearing it right now. I saw her change," Mila revealed. Hager then playfully shooed her little one away and that's when the truth bombs stopped going off.
But despite Mila's frankness, she can't be blamed for outing her mother on the no underwear thing, because Hager admitted to it during a past "Hoda and Jenna" episode. "I think it makes a more pretty silhouette!" said Hager about why she goes commando. "I also think you don't have to pack as much. There's a lot of pros to it ... I'm sure my mom has never been more proud."
Matt Lauer came across as creepy
Anne Hathaway had a major wardrobe malfunction in 2012 when attending the New York premiere of her film "Les Misérables." She was getting out of a limousine at the time, wasn't wearing underwear, and the paparazzi snapped some photos. Sure, it was big news in the entertainment world, but Matt Lauer can be accused of bringing even more attention to it when he sat down with Hathaway for an interview.
"I've seen a lot of you lately," he told her on "Today," and based on her response, it seems that Hathaway thought Lauer was talking about all of the promotional appearances she made for "Les Misérables." But he made sure that she understood his comment. "Let's just get it out of the way. You had a little wardrobe malfunction the other night," said Lauer. "What's the lesson learned from something like that? Other than that you keep smiling, which you always do."
Hathaway called the incident unfortunate because the paps took the pics in the first place, then sold them. "And I'm sorry that we live in a culture that commodifies sexuality of unwilling participants," she answered. The actor then compared what happened to her to the character she plays in "Les Misérables," cleverly shifting the focus to the movie. So in the end, Lauer wasn't only accused of being unprofessional but of blaming Hathaway for the photo, instead of the person who took it.
Al Roker and Billy Bush argued
When Ryan Lochte lied about being robbed in Brazil when he was there for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, it was a huge story, which probably isn't surprising. Think about it: You had a famous American swimmer on a global stage, who made a serious accusation against people in the hosting country.
Lochte was pretty much canceled for telling his tale before cancel culture was even a thing, and he was ripped by people all around the world. In short, Lochte said he was robbed at gunpoint, but later it was revealed that he and his teammates vandalized a gas station bathroom and the security guards wouldn't let them leave without paying.
The fabrication even caused a verbal tiff between the "Today" show's Al Roker and Billy Bush after Bush defended Lochte. "He lied," declared Roker. "He lied to you, he lied to Matt Lauer, lied to his mom, he left his teammates hanging while he skedaddled ... There was no robbery, there was no pull over, nobody cocked a gun to his head. He lied." Bush responded by telling Roker to "calm down" and said the disgraced swimmer merely "embellished" his story and didn't lie. At the same time, however, Bush admitted that Lochte fibbed, seeming to play both sides of the fence. Some might say the exchange between Roker and Bush became nearly as big of a story as the robbery tale itself.
Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb made a shocking announcement
At one time, Matt Lauer was arguably morning television's biggest star, but that changed in 2017 when he was fired from "Today" for sexual misconduct. The show's co-hosts, Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb made the announcement as soon as "Today" aired that same morning. More than likely, revealing such news had to be awkward for them considering their personal and professional relationship with Lauer. Guthrie spoke first and her voice could be cracking.
"Hota is with me this morning because this is a sad morning here at 'Today' and NBC News," Guthrie began. "Just moments ago NBC News chairman Andy Lack sent the following note to our organization: 'Dear colleagues, on Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer. It represented, after a serious review, a clear violation of our company's standards.'"
Guthrie then said that she was heartbroken over the news before calling Lauer a dear friend and sending warm words to her colleague who made the complaint. Kotb spoke next and also called Lauer a friend. Some might recall that his ousting came at the height of the #MeToo movement when a long list of famous men were taken to task. And others like Harvey Weinstein landed in prison. As for Lauer, a woman named Brooke Nevils, who worked for NBC News, accused him of rape, which he denied, saying their interaction was consensual.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Megyn Kelly made an awkward point
In January 2017, it was reported that Megyn Kelly was leaving her huge role at Fox News for NBC, but by October of the following year she was fired by the company. It all had to do with comments she made on her show "Megyn Kelly Today" in a segment about Halloween costumes. The panel, which included Melissa Rivers as well as NBC News' Jenna Bush Hager and Jacob Soboroff, were discussing some of the costumes that Kelly said some were offended by.
The conversation eventually swung to Luann de Lesseps of "The Real Housewives of New York City," who dressed as Diana Ross for a Halloween party thrown by castmate Dorinda Medley. De Lesseps made her skin darker for the costume and was accused of using blackface, which she later apologized for. Then on "Megyn Kelly Today," both Rivers and Hager made the point that if people are offended by someone's costume, that should be enough for the person wearing the costume to change course. Kelly, felt differently, however.
"Who doesn't love Diana Ross?" she asked. "She wants to look like Diana Ross for one day. I don't know how that got racist on Halloween. It's not like she's walking around [like that] in general." Kelly apologized the following day after being heavily criticized on social media. It wasn't enough, though, because the firing came soon after. But she was still able to walk away from NBC with a reported $30 million.
Matt Lauer kept focusing on Sandra Bullock's nudity
When it comes to awkward moments on the "Today" show, you might've noticed that many of them involve Matt Lauer. Well, here's another one: In 2009 when Sandra Bullock stopped by "Today" to promote her film "The Proposal," Lauer focused on her being nude in it. In fact, he brought it up at the very start of the interview.
"The major thing that's changed since you were here last, I have now seen you naked," he told Bullock before saying he has a shot of the nude scene on his device as a screensaver. "You're naked for most of this movie," Lauer went on.
But he wasn't done, because he asked Bullock if it was hard to appear naked on film. Eventually, the once-respected journalist began speaking about other things concerning "The Proposal," however, not before bringing up nudity one more time. "Did I mention you have a nude scene?" he asked the actor. "Pretty much from the time you opened your mouth," she responded. Not surprisingly, Lauer was blasted for the interview on social media. Then when he was fired from NBC in 2017 for sexual misconduct, that interview, as well as his sit down with Anne Hathaway, resurfaced, and he was ripped all over again.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).