Savannah Guthrie Opens Up About Father’s Death: ‘God Comforted Me’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Savannah Guthrie recently opened up about her father in a discussion with co-anchor Hoda Kotb on TODAY.
Guthrie’s father, Charles, passed away from a heart attack when she was only 16.
“I love anything that keeps him alive,” the host shared. “I like any story or anything new, and I love to talk about him.”
“What is the best advice your dad ever gave you?” Kotb asked.
“He gave me lots of advice, and sometimes I’ve thought about it because he did pass away so young. He told me so many wise things that frankly at the time, in the moment, I don’t think I understood fully,” she said. “One thing I remember…we were going to see the movies, and it was a time when I was maybe like 11 or 12 or something, and I was like ‘Hey dad, I could probably pass for 10, and maybe we could get, like, the lower price.’ And my dad said ‘No, I would never do that,’ he said, ‘I will not sell my soul for a dollar.’”
“He was so moral,” she recalled.
Guthrie previously shared how she clung to her faith as she grieved her father’s death.
“Two days after my sister’s high school graduation, my world broke open,” she wrote in an essay for Guideposts. “My dad died of a heart attack. It felt like a betrayal of everything I’d believed in. How could God let this happen to my dad – a good man who was only in his forties? How could he do this to our family?… It would have been easy, and maybe understandable, for me to turn away from God. But my faith became more essential to me than ever. Somehow, God comforted me. And there were blessings amid the grief.”
Guthrie continues to use her platform to share her faith and encourage others dealing with grief.
She recently released her book, “Mostly What God Does,” which explores her faith.
“In fact, my life is full of potholes and detours, and mistakes and screw-ups. That is my faith journey. But I actually think that’s most people’s faith journey,” she told PEOPLE. “Sometimes you have moments and seasons of great faith, and sometimes moments of doubt and despair, and disenchantment. I’ve had all of those things, and the book is about that journey.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Guthrie:
TODAY anchor Savannah Guthrie has just released “Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere,” a book of personal essays about her Christian faith.
“[My faith is] what makes me tick,” she told TODAY.com. “It’s what makes me joyful. It’s what helps me navigate the world and stresses and disappointments and fears.”
As a child, Guthrie went to church “three times a week” with her family and quoted her sister as saying, “‘God was the sixth member of our family,’ in our family of five.”
Faith has remained a huge part of her life, and Guthrie is passionate about sharing God’s love with other people.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
