The abduction of Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother Nancy has captured the attention of so many people, and as five months have passed with very few answers, fans continue to keep an eye on the Today Show anchor. Some reports suggest that NBC even has a contingency plan in place for if Guthrie has to leave the show again for any reason. However, there was talk behind the scenes even before the kidnapping that Guthrie might be on her way out.
Savannah Guthrie took a couple of months away from The Today Show earlier this year to focus on the investigation of her kidnapped mother. She has since returned, of course, but during that time, there was much speculation about whether or not she would come back. Even before that, though, it was allegedly Guthrie’s salary and the changing landscape of network television that executives thought could lead to her exit. According to one former high-level executive (per Vulture):
