Jenna Bush Hager, a well-known TV personality, recently addressed past rumors about Scarlett Johansson potentially becoming her new co-host. During the Wednesday, May 20 episode of TODAY With Jenna & Sheinelle, the 44-year-old admitted that before Sheinelle Jones was chosen, she believed Johansson, who is 41, would be joining the show as her costar.
Johansson had previously appeared as a guest co-host on TODAY With Jenna & Friends before Jones joined the fourth hour in January. The discussion came up during an interview with guest star Colin Jost, who mentioned how his wife “loves being here.”
“I miss Scarlett. We want her to come back. I mean, I have a new host,” Bush Hager said to Jost, who then shared his thoughts on his wife’s experience.
“For a minute, I thought she was going to really take the job. But then I realized she gets more in a Super Bowl commercial than a whole year,” Bush Hager joked.
“She really loved doing it,” Jost insisted. “I think in another alternate universe, she would love doing it every day.”
“She can come any time,” Jones, 48, exclaimed.
In early 2025, Johansson told InStyle that the Today Show needed someone “spicy” and “funny” to be Bush Hager’s co-host. The mom-of-three has been open about how much she enjoyed sharing the screen with her “bestie.”
“I thought it was my husband that was going to fall in love with her, but it turns out it was me,” she told an outlet last February.
Carson Daly Thought Scarlett Johansson Was Too ‘Expensive’
In August 2025, Today host Carson Daly joked about Johansson being too pricey to bring on.
“I’ve loved a lot [of the co-hosts],” he said during an appearance at Broadway’s Jeff Ross: Take a Banana for the Ride in New York City. “I loved Dwyane Wade. I thought he was awesome. Every time Erin Andrews is on, I’m like, ‘She’s amazing.’ Scarlett Johansson is everybody’s favorite, but she happens to be Hollywood’s most expensive actor. We can’t afford her, but she loves doing it.”
Jenna Bush Hager Announced Sheinelle Jones as New Co-Host
In December 2025, it was announced that Jones would become Bush Hager’s permanent “friend” on the fourth hour.
“We have got a very special show today,” Bush Hager said on air at the time. “Over the last year, I have had the privilege of co-hosting this show with 60 incredible friends… I didn’t think I was going to cry before I even started… who all opened up to me, who inspired me. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve made some incredible friends, and I’ve learned so much about myself. And you, the audience, have been with me the entire time, so thank you so much.”
She continued, “Today, I am so thrilled to announce I have found my forever friend, and we are going to start a brand-new journey in January. I couldn’t be more excited to share this person with you all. You all know her. She is an extraordinary broadcaster, but more importantly, she exemplifies exactly what this show is all about.”
