Jenna Bush Hager Says Mom Laura Bush Took Her toThe BodyguardWhen She Just 11 (Yes, the Secret Service Was There)

Mar. 15, 2025

Laura Bush and Jenna Bush Hager watched ‘The Bodyguard’ in theaters together in 1992.Photo:Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty; Warner Bros/Regency/Canal +/Kobal/Shutterstock

Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty; Warner Bros/Regency/Canal +/Kobal/Shutterstock

Jenna Bush Hageradmits that she may have been a little young when she first watchedThe Bodyguard.TheToday with Hoda & Jennahost, 43, revealed that her mother,Laura Bush, let her watch the R-rated romantic thriller drama starringWhitney HoustonandKevin Costnerwhen she was still a tween, despite the film’s mature themes.“I sawThe Bodyguardin theaters with my Secret Service man sitting behind me,” Bush Hager — whose grandfatherGeorge H.W. Bushwas president at the time — shared, prompting her co-hostHoda Kotbto ask how old she was when she saw it.“If I had Secret Service, it was before 4th grade. 1992. I was born in ‘81, which means I was 11 years old,” Bush Hager said.“You were 11 and you sawThe Bodyguard?” Kotb asked, to which the former first daughter responded, “Yes, I believe Laura took me!”Jenna Bush stands with parents Laura and George during her father’s 1998 reelection campaign for Texas governor.Mark Peterson/Corbis/GettyKotb, 60, said that while she also watchedThe Bodyguard, her parents “would not let us go to movies like that” at that age. She explained that she has now accidentally adopted a strict parenting mentality with her own children.Bush Hager agreed that her parenting style has also mimicked her parents’ in some ways — though in her case that made her more laid back. “I let my kids watch rom-coms too early,” Bush Hager admitted.“It’s so funny that you don’t even realize you’re kind of parenting in the same way,” Kotb added. “I don’t mean to be strict, but I’m like, ‘You don’t need to see that.’ ”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Bush Hager noted that there were plenty of things that appealed to her withThe Bodyguard, even at a younger age. “It had all that great music and Kevin Costner. I mean, he could be your future husband,” she joked.TheEverything Beautiful in Its Timeauthor has previously opened up about her time in the limelight as a first daughter over the years anddealing with the public scrutinythat comes with having famous parents (and grandparents), as her dadGeorge W. Bushand grandfather George H.W. Bush both served as president.“I had parents that really supported us and never made us feel bad about mistakes that we made,” Bush Hager told PEOPLE in 2023. “But yeah, it wasn’t easy. And yet I’m so thankful for all of it.“When her father was sworn in as the 43rd U.S. president in 2001 while she was attending college in Austin, she said her parents' support was still unwavering.“I think the world was expecting us to be perfect, even though our parents did not, which is the absolute best blessing that they could have ever given us. The freedom to just be ourselves and to make mistakes,” she continued. “Because I don’t know how I would be a mother without having the grace to fail. I think kids, teenagers are so scared of making mistakes now.”

Jenna Bush Hageradmits that she may have been a little young when she first watchedThe Bodyguard.

TheToday with Hoda & Jennahost, 43, revealed that her mother,Laura Bush, let her watch the R-rated romantic thriller drama starringWhitney HoustonandKevin Costnerwhen she was still a tween, despite the film’s mature themes.

“I sawThe Bodyguardin theaters with my Secret Service man sitting behind me,” Bush Hager — whose grandfatherGeorge H.W. Bushwas president at the time — shared, prompting her co-hostHoda Kotbto ask how old she was when she saw it.

“If I had Secret Service, it was before 4th grade. 1992. I was born in ‘81, which means I was 11 years old,” Bush Hager said.

“You were 11 and you sawThe Bodyguard?” Kotb asked, to which the former first daughter responded, “Yes, I believe Laura took me!”

Jenna Bush stands with parents Laura and George during her father’s 1998 reelection campaign for Texas governor.Mark Peterson/Corbis/Getty

Mark Peterson/Corbis/Getty

Kotb, 60, said that while she also watchedThe Bodyguard, her parents “would not let us go to movies like that” at that age. She explained that she has now accidentally adopted a strict parenting mentality with her own children.

Bush Hager agreed that her parenting style has also mimicked her parents’ in some ways — though in her case that made her more laid back. “I let my kids watch rom-coms too early,” Bush Hager admitted.

“It’s so funny that you don’t even realize you’re kind of parenting in the same way,” Kotb added. “I don’t mean to be strict, but I’m like, ‘You don’t need to see that.’ ”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Bush Hager noted that there were plenty of things that appealed to her withThe Bodyguard, even at a younger age. “It had all that great music and Kevin Costner. I mean, he could be your future husband,” she joked.

TheEverything Beautiful in Its Timeauthor has previously opened up about her time in the limelight as a first daughter over the years anddealing with the public scrutinythat comes with having famous parents (and grandparents), as her dadGeorge W. Bushand grandfather George H.W. Bush both served as president.

“I had parents that really supported us and never made us feel bad about mistakes that we made,” Bush Hager told PEOPLE in 2023. “But yeah, it wasn’t easy. And yet I’m so thankful for all of it.”

When her father was sworn in as the 43rd U.S. president in 2001 while she was attending college in Austin, she said her parents' support was still unwavering.

“I think the world was expecting us to be perfect, even though our parents did not, which is the absolute best blessing that they could have ever given us. The freedom to just be ourselves and to make mistakes,” she continued. “Because I don’t know how I would be a mother without having the grace to fail. I think kids, teenagers are so scared of making mistakes now.”

source: people.com