In a raw and deeply moving moment that has divided the internet, Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie appeared on camera this week wearing lipstick, eyeshadow, liner, mascara and perfectly groomed brows for the first time since her 84-year-old mother Nancy was snatched from her Tucson home in the dead of night.

The polished look – paired with a simple white T-shirt, black zip hoodie, gold chain and diamond studs – sparked fury among online trolls who branded her ‘heartless’, ‘fake’ and accused her of caring more about her appearance than her missing mum.

But former Fox News star turned SiriusXM powerhouse Megyn Kelly has leapt to Savannah’s defence in the most powerful way possible – calling the decision to put on makeup a ‘very good sign’ that the devastated TV anchor is slowly ‘finding herself again’.

Speaking on her February 10 show, Kelly, 55, didn’t hold back as she slammed the ‘online nuts’ for their cruelty.

‘Savannah is there, having a little makeup on, having done her hair a little bit. And of course, you have the online nuts who are like, “I would never if my mother were missing, I would never put on a stitch of makeup” – Okay, Savannah has obviously had the hardest week plus of her life,’ Kelly huffed.

Those earlier videos, she pointed out, showed Savannah ‘incredibly raw, without hair and makeup done’ – and that rawness was ‘real’.

‘As somebody who does the hair and makeup virtually every day, I completely related to that feeling of when things are really hard, really hard, you don’t do it. And it’s part of your depression, your sadness, and your inability barely to get out of bed.’

But then came the shift. In the latest Instagram plea posted on February 9 – now viewed millions of times – Savannah looked noticeably more put-together. And to Kelly, that was no accident.

‘The fact that Savannah is functioning and was able to drag herself in front of the camera the past couple of times to issue those other videos is pretty Herculean and impressive,’ she marvelled.

‘And I saw her putting on a little makeup for the latest video as a very good sign of her mental health, because I think it’s armor, in a way.’

Kelly continued with genuine emotion: ‘And if you can, just make an effort at looking a little nicer, like a little bit more pop in your lip and your color, it’s almost a sign of, “I will find myself again, that face that I present to the world every day. I’m still there. I’m in there. I’m suffering, but I’m still in there.” That girl who goes out and does the Today show will be back.’

It was a masterclass in empathy from a woman who has weathered her own public storms – and it has resonated deeply with millions watching the Guthrie family’s nightmare unfold in real time.

The abduction of Nancy Guthrie has gripped America since February 1, when the ailing grandmother failed to show up for her regular virtual church service. What followed has been a textbook true-crime saga: a disconnected doorbell camera at 1:47am, motion detected but no footage, signs of a struggle, blood at the scene, mysterious ransom notes demanding Bitcoin, and a masked suspect caught on nearby cameras.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos declared early on: ‘I believe she was abducted.’ The FBI is now leading the hunt, with a $100,000 reward on the table and a physical description of a male suspect released to the public.

Savannah, her sister Annie and brother have been thrust into the unbearable position of becoming the public face of a missing persons case while their own hearts are shattered.

In her first two Instagram videos, the 54-year-old Today veteran was unrecognisable from her glossy morning TV persona. No makeup. Hair scraped back. Eyes red and swollen. Voice cracking as she begged: ‘Bring her home.’

The third video on February 9 marked a subtle but unmistakable change. ‘I wanted to come on and share a few thoughts as we enter into another week of this nightmare,’ Savannah said, speaking directly to her followers rather than the abductor for the first time.

‘We believe our mom is out there. We need your help.’

She looked exhausted but composed. The makeup – subtle but there – gave her face definition. Her messaging had evolved too: no longer solely pleading with the kidnapper, but rallying the public. ‘It’s never too late to do the next right thing,’ she urged in a later update.

To the keyboard warriors who pounced – ‘How can she think about lipstick when her mum is missing?’ – Kelly had a simple message: shame on you.

‘Those videos showing her incredibly raw… are what’s real,’ she stressed. But the effort to present herself? That’s resilience.

Psychologists watching the saga unfold agree with Kelly’s assessment. Grief expert Dr Julie Smith, not connected to the case, told Daily Mail in a separate interview: ‘When someone in trauma starts to reclaim small rituals of self-care – brushing hair, applying lip colour – it can be a profound signal that the fight to survive is kicking in. Makeup isn’t vanity here. It’s armour. It’s saying, “I still exist.”‘

Savannah Guthrie has always been the picture of poise on NBC’s Today show. Co-anchor since 2012 alongside Hoda Kotb and others, she has interviewed presidents, covered royal weddings, and become a trusted morning voice for millions. Viewers know her as warm, whip-smart, and impeccably turned out.

Behind the scenes, family has always come first. Nancy Guthrie, 84, was the matriarch – a widow who doted on her three children and grandchildren. Savannah has spoken movingly in the past about her close bond with her mum, who lived independently in the upscale Catalina Foothills neighbourhood outside Tucson.

That independence made the abduction all the more chilling.

Detailed timeline released by authorities paints a terrifying picture:

• January 31, 2026, 5:32pm: Nancy takes an Uber to daughter Annie’s home for a family dinner. Uber driver interviewed and cleared.
• 9:48pm: Dropped home by son-in-law. Garage door opens, then closes at 9:50pm. Last confirmed sighting.
• February 1, 1:47am: Doorbell camera deliberately disconnected.
• Around 2:12am: Motion sensor triggers on property but no video recorded (no subscription to cloud service).
• Morning of February 1: Nancy fails to appear at friend’s house for virtual church. Family alerted. 911 called at 12:03pm after relatives check her home and find her gone.

Blood was reportedly found inside. Ransom notes – later dismissed by some experts as possible opportunism – demanded cryptocurrency. A masked man was captured on neighbour’s security footage.

As days turned into weeks, the family released desperate videos. Savannah’s siblings joined in. The Today show has aired supportive segments, though Savannah herself has stepped back from hosting duties.

Enter Megyn Kelly – never one to shy away from speaking her mind.

The former Fox News host, who now commands a loyal audience on SiriusXM and YouTube, has covered the Guthrie case extensively. On February 10 she didn’t just defend Savannah’s makeup choice – she laid out her own grim theory on the case itself.

‘Let’s face it, there’s probably not a kidnapper. This is probably a murder. I mean, I’m sorry. That’s what I think. That’s what I thought for many days now,’ Kelly stated bluntly.

She believes the ransom notes were likely from an opportunist preying on a suffering family, and that the real perpetrator may have already ended Nancy’s life.

‘The big question now is who and why?’ Kelly asked her listeners.

Her comments have drawn both praise for her candour and criticism for being too blunt while the family still clings to hope.

But on the makeup issue, even her critics have gone quiet.

Savannah’s transformation – however small – has sparked a wider conversation about how women in crisis are judged.

One viral tweet read: ‘If a man in Savannah’s position shaved and put on a fresh shirt, no one would bat an eyelid. But God forbid a woman puts on mascara during the worst week of her life.’

Another supporter posted: ‘Megyn Kelly gets it. That “armor” comment is everything. Let the woman have her lipstick if it helps her get through another day of hell.’

Savannah has not publicly responded to the trolls or to Kelly’s praise. She continues posting updates, each one more composed than the last.

In her February 15 video she said simply: ‘Bring her home. It’s never too late to do the next right thing.’

As the search enters its third week, the FBI has released enhanced images of the suspect – a man in dark clothing and mask seen near Nancy’s property in the early hours.

Neighbours have spoken of an ‘inside job’ theory, pointing to the precise disabling of cameras. Others fear a random home invasion gone wrong.

Nancy’s pacemaker data is reportedly being analysed for any final clues. Google is reportedly helping recover deleted security footage from the home.

For the Guthrie family, every day without answers is torture.

Savannah’s decision to wear makeup – however subtle – has been interpreted by many as a quiet declaration: I am still here. I am still fighting. And one day, I will return to the woman I was.

Megyn Kelly saw that clearly.

‘I’m still there. I’m in there. I’m suffering, but I’m still in there,’ Kelly quoted, channelling what she believes Savannah was silently telling the world.

In the cruel glare of the public eye, where every tear and every eyelash is scrutinised, Savannah Guthrie chose to show up – not perfectly, but present.

And in doing so, she may have given millions of women watching a quiet permission: it’s okay to hold onto small pieces of yourself when everything else feels like it’s slipping away.

The search for Nancy continues. The pleas grow more urgent. But in one small, defiant act of self-care, Savannah reminded us all that even in the darkest hour, a little lipstick can be an act of survival.

Megyn Kelly called it ‘a very good sign’.

For a family clinging to hope, it might just be the brightest one yet.