Jenna Bush Hager recently shared a deeply personal and heartbreaking experience 

that left her grappling with intense “mom guilt” over the disappearance of her daughter Mila’s beloved kitten, Hollywood. 

In an emotional conversation on Today with Hoda & Jenna, the 42-year-old host opened up about the difficult months she and her family spent searching for the missing cat, 

all while dealing with the emotional toll it took on her and her daughter.

The story began with a heartfelt admission from Jenna at the start of Wednesday’s episode. 

“Today is a big day. This summer there were some beautiful things that happened 

and one slightly heartbreaking thing in our family, which is our beloved cat Hollywood Hager went missing,” she shared, expressing the weight of the guilt she felt. Jenna explained that she had left the door open during a birthday party for Mila, which inadvertently led to the cat’s disappearance. “The door was left open,” she confessed, “and I just was like, ‘I invited some kids over, maybe I shouldn’t have done that.’”

Hoda Kotb, her co-host, gently interrupted to reassure her that it wasn’t entirely her fault, adding, “Your daughter was having a birthday party, and as kids come and go, the door was wide open.” Despite the understanding from her friend and co-worker, Jenna couldn’t help but feel responsible for the incident, which led to the family’s cat going missing for months.

The host shared that the feeling of loss was not just about losing Hollywood but also about the emotional impact it had on her daughter, Mila. “We’ve been waiting and not just waiting. I mean, doing everything, trying to find the kitty, everything you could possibly think of,” Jenna explained, reflecting on the extensive search that followed Hollywood’s disappearance.

Jenna also revealed that the disappearance of Hollywood led to some unexpected bonding moments between her and Mila. “What’s been really beautiful is that Mila… I said to Henry after it happened, ‘Do you think this is happening because right before Mila goes into middle school and that kind of funky, pre-teenage time… she and I have just bonded in a way?’” Jenna recalled. The two spent sleepless nights together, talking through the pain of the loss and reflecting on life’s lessons. “For the first three nights the cat was gone, she slept with me, and we had these conversations around all of these really beautiful things about life, about love, about pain, about loss, and I could be there for her and she could be there for me.”

Although Jenna acknowledged that some might consider the loss of a pet trivial, she explained the profound impact it had on both her and her daughter. “It’s watching a child’s heart hurt,” she said. The process of helping Mila navigate the loss was both a challenge and a gift, as it opened doors for deep, meaningful conversations about difficult topics.

After months of searching, the family has found a new kitten for Mila to adopt. “We went on Sunday and met a little baby kitty, which Mila is going to be adopting so we’re going to have a new member of our household,” Jenna shared with hope. She even joked about the possibility that Hollywood might return once she gets a whiff of the new kitten, “hopefully Holly will smell that little kitty and be like, ‘Who’s getting in there with my parents?’ and come back.”

Although the loss of Hollywood has been a painful experience for the family, it has also brought them closer together. Hoda Kotb, empathizing with Jenna’s emotional journey, noted how hard it had been to watch Jenna struggle with the pain of seeing her daughter suffer. “Every day that Jenna stood here, and sometimes right before we went on, you were crying not just about the loss of your cat, but about Mila,” Hoda recalled. The weight of the situation was felt deeply by Jenna, who admitted, “I would get a message… Mila would have her computer for school and she would say, ‘Mommy, I miss her so much.’”

The process of healing continues, but it seems that the arrival of the new kitten will help fill the void left by Hollywood’s absence. “She met the little kitty and she said to me, ‘I haven’t stopped thinking about her all day,’” Jenna shared, revealing her daughter’s excitement despite the lingering sadness.

In the end, Jenna expressed a sense of relief at finally sharing the story. “Sorry I took up so much time with the cat. It’s been on my mind, now it’s out!” she said with a laugh, a moment of lightness amid the ongoing journey of healing. Hoda reassured her, saying, “Don’t you feel relieved? You have been carrying it around.”

For Jenna and her family, the experience was a bittersweet reminder of the deep emotional connections we form with our pets and the impact those bonds can have on our lives. As they prepare to welcome a new kitten into their home, it’s clear that the Hager family will continue to find comfort in each other and in the lessons that come with navigating life’s challenges together.

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