Similar to Chelsea Clinton instantly earlier than them, and Malia and Sasha Obama straight after them, siblings Barbara Bush and Jenna Bush Hager have been thrust into the worldwide highlight from a younger age by way of no doing of their very own. Certainly, the dual sisters should not solely the offspring of the forty third president of the USA George W. Bush and his first girl, Laura Bush, they’re additionally the granddaughters of the forty first president of the USA, George H.W. Bush and his first girl, Barbara Bush.
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Whereas they’ve each undeniably lived a lifetime of privilege being born into such a strong political dynasty, Jenna and Barbara have additionally confronted many hardships, too. From the deaths of three grandparents in fast succession and physique picture points to highschool bullying and too many automobile accidents to say, this is a have a look at 14 occasions the previous first daughters skilled tragedy of their lives.
Jenna Bush Hager has struggled together with her physique picture since she was younger
As common viewers of “Right now” will already know, Jenna Bush Hager has at all times been open in regards to the struggles she’s confronted together with her physique picture. Certainly, as she revealed on the NBC present in 2019, the previous first daughter started obsessing about her weight in first grade.
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Discussing one specific entry within the childhood journal she found in maturity, Bush Hager mentioned on “Right now” (through Folks), “I might barely write, and I definitely could not spell, and my new 12 months’s decision was to lose 4 lbs. and I really scratched out 7 and wrote 4.” The TV character additionally recalled how her twin sister Barbara Bush had initially tried to cover the journal years later over fears it might be too upsetting.
Sadly, the younger Bush Hager remained hung up about her measurement all through her college years. “It is so fascinating as a result of folks actually do hit you proper the place it hurts,” she instructed the “Right now” (through Folks) viewers about one other emotionally scarring incident from her previous in 2023. “I had a boyfriend in seventh grade who broke up with me after we went swimming collectively, after he noticed me in a washing swimsuit.”
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The Bush twins have been left devastated when their father determined to run for president
Within the late Nineteen Nineties, George W. Bush sat his 16-year-old twin daughters down to tell them of his moderately lofty political ambitions: He was going to marketing campaign to change into the forty third president of the USA. Sadly for the person — who, within the election of 2000, very a lot achieved his objective — their response wasn’t the one he needed.
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Talking in regards to the interplay on an episode of “Right now” a number of many years later, Jenna Bush Hager recalled her and sibling Barbara Bush’s responses. “We broke out in tears,” she instructed viewers (through Each day Mail). “As solely twins can do, we cried in unison! We mentioned, ‘No, you are going to break our lives, dad.'” If that wasn’t sufficient, the pair additionally insisted that their father would haven’t any likelihood of creating it to the White Home anyway.
“Effectively, that did not occur,” co-host Sheinelle Jones quipped in response. “Effectively, got here shut,” Bush Hager replied, referring to the razor-thin presidential election battle between her pop and Democratic nominee Al Gore. “Anyway, we went after him and since then as an grownup, we publicly apologized. That was horrible.”
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Barbara Bush was bullied at highschool over her household connection
Whereas a younger Jenna Bush Hager might have had a combating likelihood of forging her personal path, her sister might by no means get away from the truth that she was a member of an American political dynasty. Certainly, by sharing the identical title as her grandmother — the previous first girl and spouse of forty first president George H.W. Bush — Barbara Bush was teased all through her childhood.
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“Think about going to a giant public highschool, they usually’d be like, ‘Barbara Bush!'” Jenna defined to her co-hosts on “Right now” in 2025. “They’d be like, ‘Yo, Barbara Bush.’ And all people laughed. And so she was embarrassed.” In reality, her poor sibling could not even order fast-food again within the day with out being mocked.
“She would name and she or he had a little bit candy voice, too, and she or he’d name Domino’s to order pizza, and they’d suppose that she was pranking,” Jenna added. “She’d be like, ‘My title is Barbara Bush,’ they usually’d be like, ‘What? You liar. Hold up.'” Nonetheless, following the dying of her grandmother in 2018, Barbara began to understand her moniker.
Jenna Bush Hager regrets not having extra enjoyable at school
Throughout a 2025 look on “Right now,” visitor Regina Corridor turned the tables on host Jenna Bush Hager when she began asking the questions, together with “Did you’ve got enjoyable if you dated your husband?” The response most likely wasn’t what the actor, or the viewers at dwelling, have been anticipating.
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Certainly, though Jenna made certain to level out that she did have enjoyable courting future partner Henry Chase Hager, she wished she performed the sector a little bit extra beforehand. “Once I met my husband, that was it,” the previous first daughter clarified on “Right now” (through Decider). “I want in school — I knew, I liked him. I imply he walked in and I mentioned to Barbara, ‘In fact the lovable one has a girlfriend’ … However I simply imply in school I felt a little bit restricted by Secret Service males if I am actually sincere. So, I saved my numbers low.”
Jenna, who was learning at Austin’s College of Texas when her dad George W. Bush was elected the forty third president of the USA, went on so as to add that the Secret Service had acquired in the way in which all through a lot of her teenage years, too. Though Corridor did her greatest to reassure Jenna that she was fortunate to have discovered “the one” so early, the host nonetheless expressed remorse that she did not have “a little bit extra enjoyable.”
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Barbara Bush was punished for her father’s politics
Jenna Bush Hager wasn’t the one daughter of the forty third president of the USA to have a school expertise impacted by exterior forces. Whereas selling their shared memoir, “Sisters First: Tales from Our Wild and Fantastic Life,” on “Right now,” Barbara Bush recalled how she was focused by one specific trainer as a consequence of her dad’s controversial involvement in a significant worldwide battle.
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“I went to go meet with considered one of my T.A.’s at Yale,” Barbara mentioned (through Each day Mail). “I hadn’t been getting nice grades within the class … So I went to satisfy together with her to learn the way to be higher and she or he mentioned to me, ‘I am going to provide you with an A in case your dad would not go to warfare in Iraq.'”
When requested by host Matt Lauer about how she responded to this inappropriate provide on the time, Barbara revealed that she felt deeply uncomfortable. Nonetheless, she additionally managed to remove a helpful life lesson, too. “I noticed my trainer as an authority determine and I believed she would have seen me as only a scholar,” she defined. “However one thing that undoubtedly type of taught me how you utilize your place, when you’re able of energy.”
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Each Bush twins have been arrested for underage consuming
Whereas most youngsters who get caught underage consuming are allowed to neglect about it, Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush have been named and shamed in entrance of all the world. Within the former’s case, this occurred on two separate events inside the area of a month!
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Jenna Bush Hager’s wild previous started within the spring of 2001 when she was charged with alcohol possession whereas underneath the authorized age restrict of 21 after being noticed by undercover cops in Austin, Texas. The primary daughter was subsequently ordered to attend six hours of lessons on drink-awareness and endure eight hours of neighborhood service. Sadly, this did not seem to function a lot of a deterrent.
Certainly, simply a few weeks later, Jenna discovered herself in hassle with the regulation for the very same cause, solely this time she wasn’t alone. In response to studies, the previous had tried to buy alcohol at a department of the Tex-Mex chain restaurant, Chuy’s, with a pretend ID whereas accompanied by her sister Barbara. After pleading no contest, she was given an identical punishment to her earlier misdemeanor and was additionally sentenced to 3 months of probation.
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The Bush twins had an accident-filled first 12 months after getting their driver’s licenses
You may anticipate that the daughters of a United States president can be chauffeured round on a whim for his or her complete lives. However Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush each nonetheless insist on getting behind the wheel themselves. Whereas that could be applaudable in concept, the truth is that they current a relentless menace to the nation’s roads.
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As Jenna sheepishly admitted throughout a 2024 episode of “Right now” (through Folks), she and her sister have gotten right into a mixed whole of 13 accidents within the first 12 months after passing their checks. “My first 12 months of driving, I had a little bit impulse management points,” the host instructed viewers. “My mind developed a little bit later. So I might simply put it on, get within the automobile, velocity again, with out ever wanting again.”
However issues do not seem to have gotten a lot better since her mind absolutely developed. “I acquired in a single whole wreck in my one driveway of late,” Jenna revealed, including that the poor automobile concerned turned a complete write-off in consequence. “I am not a terrific driver,” she admitted. Fortunately, neither Bush sibling has suffered a severe harm throughout their unfortunate 13.
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Jenna Bush Hager was as soon as physique shamed by her grandmother
Whereas discussing physique picture on a 2023 episode of “Right now,” Jenna Bush Hager revealed that she was as soon as shamed for her determine as a teenager. And the insensitive particular person accountable was none aside from her grandma, aka former first girl Barbara Bush.
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Jenna instructed “Right now” viewers (through Folks) that she distinctly remembers the incident and the way she was sporting a yellow bikini on the time whereas mendacity subsequent to her twin sister, additionally named Barbara Bush. “And my grandmother, who I adored however had type of a biting character, mentioned one thing like, ‘Oh Jenna, wanting chubby.’ I keep in mind feeling like I needed to cover in it.”
The hurtful feedback left a long-lasting influence on Jenna: In reality, she averted sporting a bikini for a number of years in consequence. Nonetheless, Jenna disclosed that Barbara Sr. did finally apologize for the slicing comment. “Late in life, she mentioned, ‘ after I mentioned these issues to you, I used to be speaking to myself.'”
Jenna Bush Hager had a miscarriage
In 2023, Jenna Bush Hager revealed reside on “Right now” that earlier than giving start to youngsters Mila, Poppy, and Hal, she had suffered the heartbreak of a miscarriage. “And on the time, as a result of I needed to have surgical procedure, it felt like … it felt actually laborious,” the previous first daughter instructed co-host Hoda Kotb about her expertise with an ectopic being pregnant.
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“And in addition laborious ‘trigger we have been younger and I do not know that Henry [Chase Hager] and I essential knew even the language of life but; how fortunate we have been,” Jenna went on so as to add. Though this was the primary time that the TV character had gone utterly public with the information, it wasn’t fully a secret. “Mila loves to inform folks, ‘Mommy had a child that died,'” she continued, referring to her eldest daughter. “I am like, ‘Mila … strangers!'”
Admirably, Jenna has been in a position to take one thing constructive from such a traumatic time. “Once I have a look at these three youngsters’ faces, had that child lived, the opposite three would not essentially be mine,” she defined. “And I at all times take into consideration these little twists that felt like the toughest heartbreaks.”
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Jenna Bush Hager has damaged three of her fingers
In February 2025, rumors started to swirl that Jenna Bush Hager’s oft-weird marriage to Henry Chase Hager was in hassle after she was noticed with out her marriage ceremony ring. However there was a wonderfully legitimate cause for the no-show. She’d merely damaged the finger it was normally positioned on.
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This wasn’t the primary, or certainly the final, time that Jenna suffered such an harm. A month later, the previous first daughter warned viewers of “Right now” (through Web page Six) that they could need to briefly look away from the display. She subsequently confirmed off her center finger, which had fairly clearly dislocated. “Y’all might discover that I am sporting a splint,” she mentioned earlier than quipping to her sister Barbara Bush, “I could have you ever signal [it] in the course of the business break.”
Jenna then recalled the fourth-grade incident through which one other poor finger acquired the identical remedy. To make issues worse, her dad and mom George and Laura Bush initially did not consider that she’d damaged something as a consequence of her behavior of “crying wolf.”
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Jenna Bush Hager misplaced 4 tooth in an accident
Jenna Bush Hager would not seem to have a lot luck in the case of utterly avoidable accidents. In addition to breaking three fingers in separate incidents, the previous first daughter additionally as soon as broke 4 tooth in a single fell swoop.
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Bush Hager felt inclined to recall the incident on listening to that Kristen Wiig had as soon as chipped a tooth at an “Saturday Night time Dwell” after-show bash. “Effectively, I used to be in a consuming and dancing accident,” she instructed “Right now” viewers in 2024 (through Newsweek), occurring to elucidate that it occurred when an previous buddy named Molly Devine began to spin her round of their shared house. On being launched, her slippery tights-clad ft propelled her to the ground and the remainder is historical past. Effectively, kinda.
Hager did not lose her tooth right away. In reality, it was solely a few days later at her sister Barbara Bush’s office that she was alerted to a significant change: “This beautiful intern goes, ‘Honey, you’ve got some grey stuff in your tooth.’ I killed 4 roots — no really, Molly killed 4 roots.”
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The Bush twins misplaced three grandparents inside a 12 months
To lose one grandparent is tough sufficient, however Barbara Bush and Jenna Bush Hager needed to take care of shedding three inside the area of simply over a 12 months. Firstly, the previous’s namesake died in April 2018 on the age of 92. Then George H.W. Bush handed away seven months later aged 94. Then, their maternal grandmother, Jenna Hawkins, died only a couple months wanting her centenary birthday in Might 2019.
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“I do know many individuals undergo the grief and the great thing about reflecting on the folks we lose and love,” an emotional Jenna — who found she was pregnant with third baby Hal only a week after the dying of her former president grandad — instructed “Right now” viewers (through Oprah Each day) in 2020. “However I believe they’re at all times whispering to me.”
“So long as I am alive, my grandparents won’t be forgotten,” Jenna added, having additionally misplaced her paternal grandfather, Harold, in 1995. “I hear their voices within the letters they despatched me and in my recollections. They provide consolation, assist, and steering, and I’ll hearken to them at all times.”
Jenna Bush Hager’s beloved pet went lacking
Jenna Bush Hager discovered herself within the full throes of mother guilt in 2024 when her household’s beloved pet went lacking. As she absolutely admitted to Hoda Kotb on “Right now,” it was kinda the previous first daughter’s fault.
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Jenna admitted that her 11-year-old daughter Mila’s cat, Hollywood, had crept out the entrance door unnoticed throughout a youngsters’s birthday bash she was internet hosting. Though the NBC favourite and her different half, Henry Chase Hager, tried all the pieces they might to search out her, the feline was by no means seen once more. Mila subsequently spent three consecutive nights in her mother’s bed room in tears.
“Generally proper earlier than we went on [air], you have been crying, not simply in regards to the lack of your cat, however about Mila,” Kotb recalled to Jenna in regards to the tough interval. After a number of months, nevertheless, the Bush Hager household determined it was time to introduce one other cat into the fold. “Hopefully Holly will come scent that little kitty and be like, ‘Who’s getting in there with my dad and mom!?'” Jenna added hopefully.
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Jenna Bush Hager struggled together with her Right now co-host’s departure
Having co-hosted NBC’s “Right now” collectively for thus lengthy, Jenna Bush Hager was at all times going to search out it laborious to take care of the departure of Hoda Kotb. Even so, she was nonetheless shocked at simply how emotional she turned over the change in personnel.
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“I used to be like, ‘Wait, you may’t, you may’t go,'” Bush Hager instructed “Right now” in regards to the first time she heard the information. In reality, she was so shocked by the event that she wanted to contact her mom and father for some reassurance. “I used to be crying in such a manner that they thought one thing actually unhealthy had occurred,” she added. “Once they came upon that it was simply that Hoda was prepared to maneuver on to different chapters, they mentioned, ‘Oh, Jenna, it is gonna be okay.'”
Though Bush Hager — who has at all times been completely happy to talk out in regards to the standing of Kotb’s love life – nonetheless misses her previous colleague, she’s additionally completely happy that Kotb is carving a brand new path. “I am so happy with Hoda,” the previous first daughter mentioned. “I believe she’s doing precisely what she must do at this second for her.”
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