Savannah Guthrie Will Reportedly ‘Never Forgive’ Anchor Who Called Her Brother-In-Law A Suspect: ‘That’s Devastating’

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Savannah Guthrie was blindsided by a news anchor who named her brother-in-law as a suspect in her mother’s disappearance.

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Savannah Guthrie is grappling with the emotional fallout from her mother Nancy’s disappearance, fearing her fame may have made her a target.

According to a new report, the “Today” host was blindsided when former reporter Ashleigh Banfield suggested her brother-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, could be a suspect.

Meanwhile, Savannah Guthrie has confirmed she will be returning to her TV job as the search for her mother continues.

Savannah Guthrie ‘Blindsided’ By Reporter Naming Her Brother-in-Law As Suspect In Mother’s Disappearance

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Savannah was reportedly displeased after former NewsNation reporter Ashleigh Banfield named her brother-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, as a potential suspect in the disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie.

According to sources speaking to Rob Shuter’s “Naughty But Nice” Substack on March 27, Savannah, 54, felt “completely blindsided” by the claims and struggled to process what she saw as a breach of trust.

“She was trying to handle this with dignity,” a source explained. “Then, suddenly, someone she knows is being labeled a suspect on national TV. That’s devastating. There’s a line between reporting and causing harm — and Savannah believes that line was crossed.”

Banfield, 58, had suggested on her YouTube series “Drop Dead Serious” that Cioni, married to Savannah’s sister Annie Guthrie, might be the “prime suspect,” citing anonymous law enforcement sources.

Pima County Sheriff Cleared The Guthrie Family As Suspects

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Amid the rumors circulating about Savannah’s brother-in-law being a suspect, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos officially cleared all Guthrie family members, including Cioni, emphasizing they were fully cooperative and were victims, not suspects.

“To be clear…the Guthrie family – to include all siblings and spouses – has been cleared as possible suspects in this case. The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this,” Nanos said in a statement.

He continued, “To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel. The Guthrie family are victims plain and simple…please, I’m begging you the media to honor your profession and report with some sense of compassion and professionalism.”

Savannah Guthrie ‘Will Never Forgive’ The News Anchor For Her Comments

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Despite the official clearance, Savannah reportedly remains deeply hurt.

The insider said, “She’s in protection mode now. Her focus is her family — and keeping them safe from further pain.”

During her recent tell-all interview with Hoda Kotb, Savannah addressed the rumors about her loved ones being suspects, emphasizing how much they loved and cared for her mother.

“No one took better care of my mom than my sister and brother-in-law. No one protected my mom more than my brother,” she stated.

Savannah also called on people to “stop the irresponsible and cruel speculation that had started to swirl.”

The Journalist Fears That Her Fame Made Her Mother A Target

Instagram | Savannah Guthrie

While speaking with her colleague, Kotb, for her special interview, Savannah revealed her fears that her fame may have made her mother a target for ransom.

The “Today” host noted that she asked her brother about the possibility, and he replied in the affirmative.

“I said, ‘What? Why? What?’ It sounds so – how dumb could I be, but I just, I didn’t want to believe. I said, ‘Do you think because of me?’” Savannah recalled. “He said, ‘I’m sorry, sweetie, but yeah, maybe.’ But I knew that. I hope not. I mean, we still don’t know. Honestly, we don’t know anything.”

Savannah continued, “I don’t know that it’s because she’s my mom, and somebody thought, ‘That lady has money, we could make a quick buck.’ I mean, that would make sense, but we don’t know, but yeah, that’s probably. Which is too much to bear, to think that I brought this to her bedside, that it’s because of me.”

“I just say, I’m so sorry, mommy,” the tearful journalist added. “I’m so sorry. … If it is me, I’m so sorry.”

Nancy, 84, disappeared from her Tucson, Arizona home on January 31, in what authorities believe was an abduction.

Doorbell footage captured a masked, armed individual tampering with the camera, and Nancy’s blood was discovered on the porch. Several alleged ransom letters demanded millions in bitcoin, though their authenticity was unverified.

Savannah Guthrie Recalls Chaotic Discovery Of Mother’s Disappearance

Savannah provided further details about the chaotic early moments of the investigation. She revealed she first learned of her mother’s disappearance when her sister called in a panic.

“I said, ‘Is everything OK?’ and she said, ‘No, mom’s missing.’ I said, ‘What? What are you talking about?’ She said, ‘She’s gone,’” Savannah recalled.

Initially, she wondered if Nancy had suffered a medical episode and been taken to a hospital, since the back doors were propped open. But her phone and purse were still inside, and the family soon realized something more sinister had occurred.

“It was just chaos and disbelief,” Savannah said. The TV personality also described her mother’s physical condition, noting that Nancy suffered from severe back pain and could only walk as far as the mailbox on a good day.

Although her mom is still missing, it has been confirmed that Savannah will return to her job in April, with Kotb announcing, “We’re glad to say that she will start here, sitting next to this wonderful human being, Craig, on Monday, April 6th.”