Savannah Guthrie was in a “heightened emotional state” despite appearing composed in her “Today” show return after her mom, Nancy Guthrie, went missing.
Behavioral Scientist Dr. Abbie Maroño exclusively spoke with Page Six about the anchor’s “deliberate” and “tense” movements in her emotional return Monday.
According to Maroño, Savannah made predictable moves, which could help stabilize someone in a “heightened emotional state.”
“She didn’t look fully relaxed into it though, her shoulders stayed slightly held and there was less spontaneity in her reactions than you would typically expect from her,” she said, noting, “When the body is under emotional strain, you often see reduced variability like this because attention is split between performing and regulating.”
In other moments, Savannah’s expression softened when the tone shifted to scripted content, suggesting that the underlying emotion is still “very present.”
“Those shifts tend to happen when cognitive control drops slightly and the genuine emotional state comes through,” she said. “It reads less like she’s back to normal and more like she’s using the routine of the show to hold it together. It’s structure and control, not relief, at least not yet.”
Maroño pointed out that grief can present differently from person to person.
“Some people are very good at maintaining composure, especially in high-performance environments, and Savannah’s level of media training will play a significant role in how effectively she’s able to regulate and present herself on camera, even while still experiencing the underlying emotion,” she concluded.
However, Maroño believes Savannah came across “very composed.”
“But it felt more controlled than her usual baseline,” Maroño said.
“Her movements were slightly slower and more deliberate, especially when transitioning between segments, which tends to reflect effort rather than ease.”
The body language expert explained that this kind of increased control is typical when a person is trying to regulate emotion in real time because the brain is “prioritizing accuracy and composure over natural flow.”
“There were a few moments where you could see subtle tension in her lower face, slight lip compression and some tightness through the jaw when she wasn’t speaking,” she said. “That’s typically linked to emotional suppression.
“It’s a way of physically containing emotion rather than letting it move through expression.”
The “Work in Progress” author said Savannah, 54, did a couple of “quick gaze drops” and “slightly longer blinks” before she spoke, which she used “almost like a reset.”
“These kinds of micro-pauses are often associated with cognitive and emotional load, essentially giving the brain a moment to stabilize before continuing,” she said.
Maroño also observed that Savannah’s breathing and pacing felt “slightly more measured” than usual.
“There were moments where she took a deeper inhale before speaking, which can indicate active regulation of the nervous system, using breath to maintain control and prevent emotion from surfacing on air,” she explained, adding, “She’s clearly leaning on the routine, her delivery and timing are very consistent with her usual baseline, which suggests she’s using that structure to stay steady.”
Savannah made her return to the NBC show on Monday — nearly two months after her 84-year-old mother disappeared.
She joined co-anchor Craig Melvin at Rockefeller Plaza’s Studio 1A, where he told her, “It’s good to have you back at home.”
Savannah replied by telling him, “Well, ready or not, here we go! Let’s do the news,” before diving into the day’s biggest headlines.
She wore a bright yellow dress, a color she wears as a symbol of hope, remembrance and support for her mom’s safe return.
Savannah was seen holding back tears as her “Today” show fans greeted her with cheers upon her long-awaited return.
Last month, she had briefly returned to the set for an interview with Hoda Kotb, in which she reflected on her living nightmare and asked viewers for any information they may have on her mom’s whereabouts.
Nancy was last seen on Jan. 31 after a family member dropped her off at her Tucson-area home. She was reported missing the next day.
Investigators determined that she was taken from her home against her will and a trail of her blood was discovered outside her front door.
Terrifying security footage captured an armed and masked individual seen outside of her home on the night she vanished.
While several people have been detained amid the search, the FBI has not identified the name of a suspect.
However, Savannah has received a few ransom demands that they believe are legitimate and are willing to pay.
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