Don Lemon Reportedly Hires Security For His Mom as He Fears if ‘Danger’ Can ‘Happen to Savannah Guthrie,’ It ‘Can Happen’ to Anyone
The disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mom has left a lot of people scrambling in different ways. There are a lot of questions. What happened, and why did it happen? How could it have been prevented? And these questions aren’t even just being asked by NBC and the Guthrie family, but by anyone involved in entertainment.
Don Lemon, for example, reportedly got additional security for his mother. There have been no specific threats made, but the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping has left everyone rattled. “This shook everyone,” one network insider told Rob Shuter. “If it can happen to Savannah, it can happen to any high-profile host’s family.”
Related: Who are Savannah Guthrie’s siblings?
And Lemon is reportedly not the only one taking these precautions. Multiple networks, including NBC News, have been holding internal briefings with senior staff and on-air talent about their own safety and that of their family members.
“There’s no panic, but there is seriousness,” a source explained. “Executives are saying: don’t ignore your instincts.”
This means being careful with things like routines, travel patterns, and even the visibility of family members for on-air talent—especially older parents. “This is a wake-up call,” another source said. “These hosts are public figures, but their families didn’t sign up for this.”
For NBC, this feels personal after Nancy Guthrie, and they’re not taking any chances. “It shattered the illusion of distance,” one staffer said. “People always think danger is abstract — until it isn’t.”
And Don Lemon would rather go the extra mile. “He didn’t hesitate,” a confidant said. “His attitude was simple: protect first, ask questions later.”
Savannah Guthrie has been absent from her job on the Today show since February 2, the day after her mother first disappeared. She’s been in Arizona alongside her siblings and has been posting on social media, pleading with the kidnappers and sending messages to her mother.
On a message posted on Saturday, Feb. 7, she said. “We received your message and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us and we will pay.” There has been no confirmation that the ransom has indeed been paid.
The Guthrie family also said in another video, “We believe that somehow, some way, [Nancy] is feeling these prayers and that God is lifting her even in this moment and in this darkest place,” adding, “We believe our mom is still out there.”
“We need your help. Law enforcement is working tirelessly around the clock, trying to bring her home, trying to find her. She was taken, and we don’t know where, and we need your help,” Savannah also explained. “So, I’m coming on just to ask you, not just for your prayers, but no matter where you are, even if you’re far from Tucson, if you see anything, you hear anything, if there’s anything at all that seems strange to you, that you report to law enforcement.”
