In a remarkably honest and vulnerable disclosure, Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie has shared the profound emotional impact of her first marriage ending, confessing she felt like a 'failure' following the divorce. The 54-year-old broadcaster, now happily remarried, opened up about this challenging period during the debut episode of her friend and former co-star Hoda Kotb's new YouTube series, Joy Rides.
A Painful Period of Heartbreak and Self-Reflection
Guthrie was married to former BBC journalist Mark Orchard for four years, from 2005 until their separation in 2009. Reflecting on that time, she described how the dissolution of her marriage felt as though her personal dreams were 'falling apart' around her.
'I was in my 30s. I felt old, but I now see that I was pretty young, and I was sad about it,' Guthrie recalled during the emotional conversation. 'And I was also starting a new job at a place called NBC and trying really hard to make my way and make my little dream come true while other dreams were falling apart.'
This confluence of professional ambition and personal turmoil forced a period of intense introspection. 'And it made me have to really dig deep, and I felt like a failure,' she admitted, highlighting the deep sense of inadequacy that accompanied the split.
Finding Solace and Strength in Faith
Despite the heartbreak, Guthrie revealed that this difficult experience ultimately led to a significant and positive transformation in her spiritual life. The divorce helped forge a much closer and more authentic connection with her faith.
'I realized I didn't have to be perfect to be loved by God,' she continued. 'I didn't even have to be close because I was definitely a failure. And I really felt loved and carried by God, and that was such an important, integral moment of life.'
This revelation stands in stark contrast to the pain she has previously associated with the divorce. In a 2025 appearance on Monica Lewinsky's podcast Reclaiming, Guthrie described the split as 'horrible' and 'sad,' noting it took her 'years to recover.' She has consistently kept the details private, even omitting the topic from her 2024 book, Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere, because she felt divulging specifics was 'too personal' and 'too embarrassing.'
Moving Forward to a Happy Present
Today, Savannah Guthrie's life looks profoundly different. She is now happily married to public relations and communications consultant Michael Feldman. The couple, who share two children—daughter Vale, 11, and son Charley, nine—began dating in 2009 and tied the knot in Guthrie's hometown of Tucson, Arizona, in 2014.
Their meeting story is a charming one: Guthrie met the former Democratic political adviser after 'crashing' his 40th birthday party as a plus-one for a friend. They hit it off immediately and began dating after Feldman sent her an email a few days later.
Professional Updates and a 'New Voice'
Guthrie's personal revelations come as she has been absent from the Today show anchor desk since mid-December, taking time off to undergo a procedure to remove nodules and a polyp from her vocal cords. She has been on vocal rest but has sporadically appeared from home to give updates.
In a recent on-air return, she spoke for the first time since the surgery, revealing her 'new voice' to her co-hosts. 'So, I am still on vocal rest, but I'm allowed to talk for about five to ten minutes every hour,' Guthrie explained. 'This is my new voice, or my old voice, but my new voice.'
The moment was met with warm support and some playful debate from her colleagues. While Sheinelle Jones gushed, 'Savannah, you sound so good!' and Jenna Bush Hager agreed it was 'beautiful,' Al Roker humorously quipped it sounded the same, prompting Craig Melvin to disagree, saying she sounded 'markedly better.'
Through sharing this journey from perceived failure to renewed faith and family happiness, Savannah Guthrie offers a powerful narrative of resilience and personal growth in the public eye.
