Jenna Bush Hager: Today

After Jenna Bush Hager's father, President George W. Bush, painted her portrait, the Today show cohost admits she wasn't super excited about the results.





While speaking to People recently about her dad's personal artwork, Jenna shared that the former president painted her last summer and she "had a reaction, which was not so great." But to be clear, it wasn't so much a commentary on her father's talent.

"I tend to be critical of myself, but also critical of the way somebody else sees me," Jenna explained to the outlet. "So he painted me and it was okay. I just feel like I guess I have to start doing Botox, because he uses so much texture that my forehead looked really wrinkly. I think what is beautiful is that he captures the essence of people, and I do look very joyful."

Last Wednesday, Jenna reiterated her feelings about the painting on the fourth hour of the Today show with her cohost Hoda Kotb. While producers flashed a photo of George's completed work, Jenna asked Hoda, "Is that what I look like? ... Is that what my face looks like? I'm just wondering."

While chuckling with Hoda, Jenna further explained, "When he was here [at the Today show], he told Hoda that I hate the painting. And I don't hate it." Hoda chimed in that George actually asked her if she wanted to keep it because Jenna "didn't like it."

Hilariously, Jenna also told Hoda that George's "biggest fear" is painting the women in his family. Apparently, when George tried to do a portrait of former First Lady Laura Bush, it ended up being "a bust" and was eventually "destroyed."

Despite not being super excited about her own portrait, Jenna has greatly appreciated her dad's other family paintings. This January, Jenna proudly posted two of George's portraits of her and husband Henry Hager's son, Hal, on Instagram and said they were her favorite Christmas gifts.

http://instagram.com/p/CJy-zp6LAtn

" @georgewbush Love how you see our precious boy. These bring me joy," she wrote at the time.

George has been sharing many of his painted works after releasing his new book Out of Many One: Portraits of America's Immigrants this April. The book includes 43 of George's oil paintings of American immigrants alongside their inspiring stories from many parts of the world.

Jenna Bush Hager’s late grandfather, former President George H.W. Bush, made skydiving his later-in-life birthday tradition, and now Jenna is honoring his legacy during his birthday month by taking a plunge from 10,000 feet herself. Watch as she jumps with the same team he did, the U.S. Army’s Golden Knights!

Jenna Bush Hager honored her late grandfather, former President George H. W. Bush, in a personal way.

In her skydiving adventure that was chronicled on Thursday’s edition of “Today,” Bush Hager said she jumped out of a plane as a way of “honoring [Bush’s] legacy by skydiving with the same team he jumped with: the Army’s Golden Knights.”



In 2014, when the elder Bush was celebrating his 90th birthday, he jumped out a plane with the Army’s famed Golden Knights.

“He landed — a little hard! — but immediately thanked the man who led him safely into the arms of his wife and to the grandkids who rushed to him,” Bush Hager wrote in an essay on “Today’s” website. “And that was our Gampy: always thanking those who helped him, wanting always to be surrounded by family.”

Bush Hager explained that her grandfather “had made the decision to jump as a tribute to his years as a pilot during WWII. In fact, the first time he jumped out of an airplane he was 19 years old, and it was 1944.”





[More Snyde] Vanessa Bryant remembers Kobe as ‘the best girl dad’ in Father’s Day post »
“His plane was shot down over the Pacific, so he was forced to jump,” she continued. “He hit his head on the plane but was later rescued. Two of the other members of his team didn’t live. He told me once that he jumps for them. He jumped because he lived.”

Watch @jennabushhager skydive with the U.S. Army Golden Knights in honor of her grandfather, former President George H.W. Bush. pic.twitter.com/eDQ

Jenna Bush Hager chats about the latest buzzy topics, trends and pop culture news. Today, Jenna recaps her skydiving adventure, and Sheinelle Jones and Al Roker show off their dance moves. Plus, an exclusive chat with Hoda Kotb and Donnadorable you can only see here!