NEW YORK — Savannah Guthrie may be forced to step away from her role as “Today” co-anchor for a second time, according to a person close to the situation cited by The U.S. Sun, as new developments in the nearly five-month-old disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, continue to weigh heavily on the broadcaster.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, has been missing since Feb. 1, when she was reported absent from her Tucson, Arizona, home after failing to attend a scheduled church service. Investigators have said evidence found at the scene, including blood and signs of forced entry, points to a violent struggle, and the case has since been treated as a likely abduction. Savannah Guthrie took a leave of absence from “Today” in the immediate aftermath of her mother’s disappearance before making an emotional return to the anchor desk on April 6.

The renewed possibility of another leave comes after a new ransom note surfaced, sent to TMZ and reportedly claiming that Nancy Guthrie is no longer alive. According to reporting on the note’s contents, the sender also claimed to possess video evidence of those allegedly responsible for her disappearance, asserting it could “deliver them on a silver platter” if certain demands were met. As of this report, authorities have not publicly confirmed the authenticity of the note, and no suspects or persons of interest have been formally named by either the Pima County Sheriff’s Department or the FBI as the investigation approaches the five-month mark.

A source described to The U.S. Sun the strain the situation has placed on Guthrie personally, characterizing her as someone who is “holding it together” even as the emotional weight of the case becomes harder to manage privately while continuing to appear on national television each morning.

According to that source, NBC executives are reportedly preparing contingency plans in case Guthrie needs to step away from her on-air duties again, potentially with little advance notice. The source indicated that network leadership hopes she will be able to continue working through the ongoing investigation, while also acknowledging the possibility that she may need to leave the anchor desk unexpectedly given the unpredictable nature of new developments in her mother’s case.

Hoda Kotb, who previously stepped back into the lead co-anchor role alongside Craig Melvin during Guthrie’s earlier leave of absence, is reportedly prepared to do so again if needed. The source framed any potential return by Kotb not as a permanent replacement, but as a supportive measure intended to give Guthrie room to focus on her family during an exceptionally difficult period.

“If Savannah needs her, she’ll be in that chair immediately. There wasn’t a second of hesitation,” the source said. “This isn’t about replacing Savannah. It’s about giving her the space to focus on finding her mother.”

The source also described the broader toll the prolonged investigation has taken on Guthrie behind the scenes, even as she has continued to maintain her public role.

“Savannah is determined not to let viewers down, but behind the scenes, everyone can see how emotionally drained she is. She’s running on pure courage,” the insider said.

Guthrie has not publicly confirmed any specific plans to step away from “Today” again, and NBC has not issued an official statement addressing the speculation reported by The U.S. Sun. The situation remains fluid, with developments in the investigation, including the latest ransom note, continuing to unfold in real time and shape how Guthrie and the network are navigating her on-air commitments.

The newest ransom note adds to a pattern of unverified communications that have surfaced periodically throughout the case. According to details reported on the note’s content, the sender claimed there were two individuals involved in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, including a primary figure described only as the “main guy,” and asserted that video evidence existed documenting the alleged abduction. In exchange for a substantial cryptocurrency payment, the sender claimed that Nancy Guthrie’s location would be easy to locate for anyone aware of where to look. Investigators have not confirmed whether any of these claims hold credibility, and similar unverified messages have surfaced multiple times since the case first began making national headlines in February.

Following news of the latest note, Guthrie addressed the situation directly during a recent broadcast of “Today,” choosing to speak briefly despite her general reluctance to comment on her family’s ongoing case while continuing to anchor the program.

“I can’t pretend I’m not here, and since I am, I just wanted to take the opportunity to ask people, really to beg people to come forward, somebody knows something,” Guthrie said on air.

That on-air appeal reflected a broader pattern that has defined much of Guthrie’s public response to her mother’s disappearance: a deliberate effort to continue performing her professional duties while periodically using her platform to renew pleas for public assistance in the case. Throughout the investigation, Guthrie and her siblings have repeatedly issued public statements and video messages directed at both the broader public and, at times, directly at those believed responsible for their mother’s disappearance, seeking any information that might help bring the case closer to resolution.

With the investigation still active and no confirmed suspects identified nearly five months after Nancy Guthrie vanished, the uncertainty surrounding both the case itself and Savannah Guthrie’s continued presence on “Today” appears likely to persist. For now, network insiders cited in recent reporting suggest NBC is treating any further absence as a real possibility rather than a remote contingency, underscoring just how unpredictable the situation has become for Guthrie and her family as they continue to wait for definitive answers about what happened to Nancy.