Who is Jenna Bush Hager? Bio, Age, Husband, Family & Net Worth 2026

Jenna Bush Hager is a 44-year-old American television host, author and journalist. She is white and of European descent, and she was born in Dallas, Texas. She is best known as the daughter of the 43rd U.S. president, George W. Bush, and former First Lady Laura Bush. Today she co-hosts the fourth hour of NBC’s Today show.

Her estimated net worth is $14 million, a figure combined with her husband, Henry Hager. She has been married to him since 2008, and together they have three children: Mila, Poppy and Hal. She also has a fraternal twin sister, Barbara. This guide covers her biography, age, career, books, TV shows, net worth, family, height and social media, all in one place and updated for October 2026.

Jenna Bush Hager Quick Bio / Wiki

Who Is Jenna Bush Hager?

Many people first learned her name when her father became president in 2001. She was a college student then. Over time she built her own career in teaching, writing and television.

She is now a familiar face on morning TV. Viewers know her for her warm, funny style and for her book club, Read with Jenna. She also writes books, hosts a podcast and works on projects for streaming and TV.

People often search for her under different names. You may see her listed as Jenna Hager, Jenna Bush or Jenna Welch Bush. All of these point to the same person. Her married name is Jenna Bush Hager.

How Old Is Jenna Bush Hager?

Jenna Bush Hager was born on November 25, 1981. That makes her 44 years old in October 2026. She turns 45 on November 25, 2026.

She was born one minute after her twin sister, Barbara, at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. Their birthday falls under the zodiac sign Sagittarius.

Jenna Bush Hager’s Ethnicity and Nationality

Jenna Bush Hager is American, born in Texas. She is white and has European roots. The Bush family has long been part of American public life. Her great-grandfather, Prescott Bush, was a U.S. senator. Her grandfather, George H.W. Bush, was the 41st president. Her father, George W. Bush, was the 43rd. Her uncle, Jeb Bush, served as governor of Florida.

On her mother’s side, Laura Bush grew up in Midland, Texas, and worked as a teacher and librarian before she became First Lady.

Early Life and Family Background

Jenna was named after her maternal grandmother, Jenna Hawkins Welch. She grew up in Dallas, where she and Barbara first attended Preston Hollow Elementary School and then The Hockaday School.

Her life changed in 1994. That year her father was elected governor of Texas, and the family moved to Austin. She went to St. Andrew’s Episcopal School and then to Austin High School, where she studied from 1996 until she graduated in 2000.

She and her sister later said they asked their father not to run for president in 2000. They worried it would change their lives. Their father explained that he and their mother needed to live their own lives, and he ran anyway.

Education and College Years

After high school, Jenna enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin. She also took summer classes at New York University. She joined Kappa Alpha Theta, the same sorority her mother had joined.

College was not always easy under the public eye. In 2001, she was charged with a misdemeanor for possession of alcohol while under 21. A few weeks later she faced a second misdemeanor charge for trying to buy alcohol with another person’s ID. She pleaded no contest to both. She has spoken about these years as part of growing up in the spotlight.

She graduated in 2004 with a degree in English. That love of reading and writing shaped her whole career.

The 2004 Campaign

In 2004, Jenna and Barbara joined their father’s re-election campaign. They traveled to swing states and appeared in interviews, including a long photo feature in Vogue. On August 31, 2004, they spoke at the Republican National Convention.

They also became friendly with the daughters of John Kerry, who was running against their father. It was a rare example of political rivals’ children getting along.

The campaign is also where she met her future husband.

Teaching Career and UNICEF Work

After the election, Jenna became a teacher. She worked for about a year and a half at Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. She later worked as a reading coordinator at the SEED Public Charter School in Baltimore.

She also took time away from the classroom to work with UNICEF in Latin America. She spent time in Panama and visited Paraguay. While there, she met a young mother living with HIV, and that meeting shaped her first book.

Jenna Bush Hager’s Books

Writing became a major part of her career. Here are her main books:

• Ana’s Story: A Journey of Hope (2007). This was her first book, published by HarperCollins. It tells the true story of a 17-year-old single mother in Latin America who was living with HIV. The first printing was 500,000 copies. Jenna donated her share of the profits to UNICEF, and the rest helped the woman at the center of the story pay for school.
• Read All About It! (2008). Jenna wrote this picture book with her mother, Laura Bush. It encourages children to enjoy reading.
• Our Great Big Backyard (2016). This is another children’s book she wrote with her mother. It invites kids to explore nature and national parks.
• Sisters First: Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life (2017). Jenna and Barbara wrote this memoir together. It shares funny and touching stories about growing up as twins in the White House years.
• Everything Beautiful in Its Time: Seasons of Love and Loss (2020). This is a more personal book. Jenna writes about her family and about her grandparents, including the loss of her grandfather George H.W. Bush and her grandmother Barbara Bush.
• Love Comes First (announced in 2023). This is a newer book project she shared with readers.

Editor-at-Large at Southern Living

In November 2012, Jenna was named editor-at-large of Southern Living magazine. The role fit her well. She writes about family, food, travel and life in the South, and she has kept a link to the brand for many years.

Jenna Bush Hager’s Career at NBC and the Today Show

In August 2009, NBC hired Jenna as a correspondent and contributor for Today. She also worked as a correspondent for NBC News. She quickly became a regular guest on set and sometimes filled in as an anchor.

In 2018, she interviewed Michelle Obama about her book Becoming. They spoke about life in the White House and raising daughters in public. Michelle Obama also shared kind words about George W. Bush, which many viewers remembered.

In April 2019, her role grew. She joined Hoda Kotb as co-host of the fourth hour of Today, taking over after Kathie Lee Gifford left. The show was called Today with Hoda & Jenna. Viewers liked their friendly chemistry, their long chats with celebrities and their lighthearted games.

In early 2025, Hoda stepped away from the show. Today the program is known as Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, with Sheinelle Jones as her co-host.

Read with Jenna Book Club

In March 2019, Jenna launched Read with Jenna, a monthly book club on Today. Each month she picks a new book and shares it with viewers. A pick from her list can send a title straight to the bestseller charts.

Her picks have included The Dutch House, Transcendent Kingdom, Malibu Rising, The Secret History, Summer Sisters and The Wedding People. In 2022 she added Read with Jenna Jr., a list made for young readers.

Podcast and Production Work

In September 2023, Jenna launched a podcast called Open Book with Jenna. She uses it to interview authors about their books and writing lives.

In February 2022, she signed a first-look deal with Universal Studio Group. This deal gives the studio the first chance to develop projects linked to her book club. It shows she is building a business beyond the morning show.

Jenna Bush Hager Net Worth

Jenna Bush Hager’s net worth is estimated at $14 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. This number is a combined total with her husband, Henry Hager, who is a managing director at a private equity firm. It is not her money alone.

The same site reports that her salary at NBC is about $4 million per year.

Other websites give different numbers, anywhere from $1 million to $12 million. That is because no one knows the exact figures. Celebrities do not publish their bank accounts, so every net worth number is an estimate.

How She Makes Money

Her income comes from several places:

• Her salary as a Today co-host.
• Book sales and book deals.
• Her Southern Living role.
• Her podcast.
• Her book club and the production deal with Universal Studio Group.
• Public speaking and brand partnerships.
• Her husband’s income from his finance career.

Real Estate

In 2015, Jenna and Henry paid $4.58 million for a New York City condo. They also own a home on Long Island and another in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Investments

In February 2021, The Washington Post reported that Jenna joined a group of investors in the Washington Spirit, a team in the National Women’s Soccer League. She also serves on the board of the Greenwich International Film Festival.

Jenna Bush Hager’s Husband: Henry Hager

Jenna’s husband is Henry Chase Hager. They met during her father’s 2004 campaign. Henry worked as a White House aide for Karl Rove and earlier as an aide to Carlos Gutierrez at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Henry went to St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, Virginia. He earned an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. His father, John H. Hager, is a former Virginia lieutenant governor and a former chairman of the state’s Republican Party. Today, Henry is a managing director at Waterous Energy Fund, a private equity firm that invests in oil and gas.

Their Love Story

Their relationship became public in November 2005, when they attended a White House dinner for Prince Charles and Camilla. Before he proposed, Henry asked President Bush for permission to marry his daughter. They got engaged on August 15, 2007.

The couple married on May 10, 2008, at the Bush family’s Prairie Chapel Ranch near Crawford, Texas. It was a private ceremony. Jenna later wore a gown she described to Vogue.

Is Jenna Bush Hager Dating Anyone Else?

No. People sometimes search for her boyfriend, but she has been married to Henry since 2008. Before him, she kept her dating life mostly private. There are no reports of divorce.

Jenna Bush Hager’s Children

Jenna and Henry have three children:

1. Margaret Laura “Mila” Hager. Born April 13, 2013, in New York City. She is named after both of her grandmothers. Jenna announced the pregnancy on Today on December 12, 2012.
2. Poppy Louise Hager. Born August 13, 2015. Her name honors her great-grandfather, George H.W. Bush, whose family nickname was “Poppy.”
3. Henry Harold “Hal” Hager. Born August 2, 2019. He is the couple’s only son.

Jenna often talks about her kids on air, and she writes about motherhood in her books.

Jenna Bush Hager’s Parents and Twin Sister

Jenna’s father is George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009. Her mother is Laura Bush, a former teacher and librarian who served as First Lady.

Her twin sister, Barbara Pierce Bush, is also well known. They are the only twin children of a U.S. president. The sisters are close and wrote Sisters First together. Jenna’s grandparents were George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush.

Is Jenna Bush Hager a Republican?

No. Unlike most of her relatives, she is not a member of the Republican Party. Her own words in a 2010 interview with People were that she and Barbara are independent thinkers. She once registered with the Independence Party of New York by mistake while trying to register as nonpartisan.

On January 7, 2021, she spoke emotionally on air after the storming of the U.S. Capitol. She talked about standing on the Capitol steps at inaugurations and said no one could take away the respect she feels for the country.

Jenna Bush Hager’s Physical Appearance

Many fans search for her height and look, so here are the basics:

• Height: Most sources report about 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm). Some sites list other numbers, and there is no official figure.
• Hair: Light brown to blonde, usually worn long or shoulder-length.
• Eyes: Light-colored.
• Weight: Not public. She has never shared it, so it’s best not to rely on websites that guess.
• Style: Colorful dresses, soft prints and classic pieces. Her on-screen look is bright, friendly and easy to copy.

Jenna Bush Hager on Social Media

Jenna is active online and often shares family photos, book picks and behind-the-scenes moments from the show.

• Instagram: @jennabhager
• Facebook and X: She has accounts on both, which mostly promote Today and her book club.
• Podcast and book club pages: Updates appear on TODAY.com and on major podcast apps.

Follower counts change every day, so check each profile for the current number. Be careful with fan pages and clone accounts. Her verified accounts are the safest source.

Philanthropy and Causes

Jenna has long supported education and children’s literacy. Her UNICEF work and her book Ana’s Story showed her interest in global health and young mothers. Her book club also helps authors reach new readers, and Read with Jenna Jr. encourages kids to pick up books.

Controversies and Public Moments

Like most public figures, Jenna has had a few headline moments. Her college charges in 2001 were the biggest early story. In 2023, some reports said NBC staffers were unhappy about her side income from endorsement deals, because they worried it could affect news credibility. These reports came from entertainment sites, and she has kept her place on the show.

What’s Next for Jenna Bush Hager?

She is expected to keep hosting Today with Jenna & Sheinelle and running her book club. She is also working on more book and TV projects through her Universal Studio Group deal. Her 45th birthday is on November 25, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Jenna Bush Hager?

She is 44 years old and turns 45 on November 25, 2026.

What is Jenna Bush Hager net worth?

About $14 million, combined with her husband, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Her reported salary is about $4 million per year.

Who is Jenna Bush Hager’s husband?

Henry Chase Hager. They married on May 10, 2008, in Texas.

How many children does Jenna Bush Hager have?

Three: Mila, Poppy and Hal.

What is Jenna Bush Hager ethnicity?

She is American and white, with European roots.

Is Jenna Bush Hager related to a president?

Yes. Her father was the 43rd president, and her grandfather was the 41st.

Who is her twin sister?

Barbara Pierce Bush. Barbara was born one minute before Jenna.

What show does Jenna Bush Hager host?

Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, the fourth hour of NBC’s Today.

How tall is Jenna Bush Hager?

She is most often reported as about 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm).

Final Thoughts

Jenna Bush Hager grew up in one of America’s best-known political families. She chose her own path as a teacher, author and TV host. Today she is a household name through Today, Read with Jenna and her podcast. Between her career and her family of five, she shows how someone can step out of a famous family’s shadow and build a career of her own.