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Today's Jenna Bush Hager makes bold revelation and confesses: 'I don't care what people say'

The TV host is also the former First Daughter


Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager on Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Hannah Hargrave
US Deputy Editor
On 16 August 2023
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Jenna Bush Hager's spontaneity on Today has earned her legions of loyal fans and viewers delight in the candid conversations on-air between her and co-host, Hoda Kotb. 

These chats more often than not, result in Jenna revealing personal stories about herself - some of which are rather embarrassing. But that doesn't bother Jenna at all.

In a new interview with People, the mom-of-three confessed: "I don’t worry about what I share about myself. Frankly, I am a pretty open book."

WATCH: Jenna Bush Hager reveals husband Henry turned down her proposal

She added: "In fact I try not to put too much pressure on myself for perfection, because I’m nothing close to that. I find perfection to be wildly boring."

Her down-to-earth attitude makes her an incredibly popular member of the Today team, and Hoda is regularly left in fits of giggles over Jenna's stories.

Jenna Bush Hager and George W. Bush on Tuesday, April 20, 2021 at the Today Show© Getty
Jenna is the daughter of George W. Bush

The former First Daughter's revelations have included the fact she never wears underwear, she suffered sunburn after bathing topless, had "hanky panky" with her husband, Henry Hager, at the White House, and wardrobe malfunctions a plenty. 

In the interview, Jenna also opened up about what it was like growing up as the daughter of the 43rd U.S President, George W. Bush.

jenna bush hager family© Instagram
Jenna shares three children with her husband Henry

While she felt sheltered as the granddaughter of George H.W Bush she said: "When my dad became President, everything changed." 

"We were 18, and he knew how badly we wanted just to go to college and live normal lives," she said of heading off to the University of Texas at Austin along with a Secret Service detail. 

Hoda and Jenna on set in May 2023© Getty
The stars often open up about their experiences on-air

Her twin sister, Barbara, attended Yale. "That was his promise to us: ‘Don’t worry. You can live normal lives.’ Which ended up not being exactly true. We were maybe all slightly naive, to be honest."

Jenna didn't enjoy being thrust into the spotlight, but says it's made her more resilient. "The world was expecting us to be perfect," she said when addressing photos of her and Barbara drinking when underage. 

jenna bush hager henry hager red carpet© Getty Images
Jenna shares stories about married life too

"But our parents did not, which is the absolute best blessing that they could have ever given us: the freedom just to be ourselves and to make mistakes.

"There’s something about growing up and having terrible things said about you, making mistakes publicly, then being able to bounce back and have resilience from that, which has allowed me to feel like I can live a really joyful life," she added: "Because I don’t care what people say."

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