Jenna Bush Hager recently experienced an awkward interaction with her husband, Henry Hager, that was straight out of a scene from a rom-com.
On the Oct. 16 episode of TODAY with Hoda & Jenna, the two co-hosts discussed the recent Netflix hit series “Nobody Wants This,” starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. In one relatable episode, Bell’s character Joanne discovers that Noah, played by Brody, has a box filled with memories connected to his ex-girlfriend.
Jenna explained to co-host Hoda Kotb that she recently binge-watched the series with her husband, not knowing that exact episode would soon become her reality.
“This show helped me through a moment yesterday with my husband, Henry Hager, because it was midday, I was running from a meeting, and I get a text that says, ‘I was looking for this old photo to frame, and I found your box,’” Jenna told Hoda.
She said the box was filled with keepsakes related to her old boyfriends.
“It doesn’t just have one boyfriend,” she clarified.
Jenna said that after being with her husband, whom she married in 2008, for so long, the box became cluttered with other keepsakes. Initially, Henry found a letter from Jenna’s grandmother in the box before reaching beneath and discovering mementos from his wife’s exes.
While Jenna noted that she hasn’t “been in that box in years,” she did remember keeping love letters, photos and other items.
Hoda gasped as she asked, “Wait, did he read?”
“He said he just skimmed,” Jenna responded. “He said he briefly took a peek at the box, but it scared him.”
She continued, “This is the thing, without Kristen Bell and Adam Brody and all those people, he wouldn’t have even known what a ‘box’ was.”
She said the show helped them work through the minor issue in a similar, mature way. She recalled having a brief discussion about the box and offering to burn it in their fireplace.
“He said, ‘Well, should we talk about it?’ And I said, ‘I don’t think we need to,’” Jenna said.
Hoda and Jenna then pointed out that the “Nobody Wants This” storyline — and Jenna’s real-life experience — might be more relatable to women.
"Men don't keep boxes, I don't think. Do they?" Hoda said.
“I think Henry used to have old love letters, but I think I got rid of those,” Jenna shared. “I don’t remember exactly. But I was like, ‘Where’s your box?’ And he’s like, ‘You took my box years ago.’”
Hoda said she also has a box of memories from her previous marriage. She was married to Burzis Kanga from 2005 to 2008.
“It’s so weird because sometimes when I put it back under the bed, or wherever, I think to myself, ‘I can’t believe that was such a huge chapter in my life, and now it’s condensed to a shoe box of things that’s now under the bed,’” Hoda shared.
She added there's "no harm, no foul" in having a box because it reminds her of a past version of herself.
Jenna agreed, but she noted, "If I had found (Henry's) box, we might have had a different conversation."