"Today" show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie is reportedly "livid" after an early media report suggested her brother-in-law was a potential suspect in the disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, according to former NBC colleague Megyn Kelly.
Kelly said she learned that Guthrie was furious after journalist Ashleigh Banfield alleged that Savannah Guthrie's brother-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, could be connected to the Feb. 1 kidnapping in Tucson, Arizona.
The comments come amid reports that Guthrie may be weighing legal action against Banfield over the claim, particularly after the Pima County Sheriff’s Department publicly cleared the family of any involvement.
"I have not been able to confirm that the Guthrie family wants to sue Ashleigh Banfield, but I have confirmed that Savannah is livid about that report and definitely does not suspect her or her brother-in-law," Kelly said during an episode of SiriusXM's "The Megyn Kelly Show" late last week.
"Can you blame her?" Kelly continued. "I mean, of course, she loves her sister, I'm sure she loves her brother-in-law, and I'm sure she genuinely doesn't believe they had anything to do with it."
Authorities say Cioni and his wife, Annie Guthrie — Savannah Guthrie's sister — were the last known people to see Nancy Guthrie after having dinner with her the night before she was abducted from her home.
Shortly after Nancy Guthrie vanished, Banfield reported on air that a law enforcement source indicated Cioni might be under scrutiny as a possible suspect.
Banfield later doubled down on the reporting, even after Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators had identified no persons of interest in the case.
Law enforcement officials have since made clear that the Guthrie family is not suspected of any involvement as the investigation into Nancy Guthrie's disappearance continues.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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