Jenna Bush Hager is pulling back the curtain on her teenage years — which included a “code name.”
Bush Hager, 43, shared on a September episode of Today that she used a pseudonym for hotel bookings while her dad, former President George W. Bush, transitioned from Texas governor.
“Can you tell us your name immediately? Is it classified or anything?” Sheinelle Jones asked, to which Bush Hager replied, “No. Let’s declassify it.”
“My name was Holly Crawford,” Bush Hager continued. “I know, Holly sounds like a good time, doesn’t she?”
Bush Hager — who married husband Henry Hager in 2008 — explained that she didn’t originate the name herself, noting that it was possible the secret service gave her the moniker. (The couple share daughters Mila, 12, and Poppy, 10, and son Hal, 6.)
“Crawford was the name where … my parents had the house [in Texas], but also holly bush? Holly. I mean, I don’t know. I just made that up,” Bush Hager said. “All I know is, if Holly Crawford shows up, she’s ready to order a margarita.”
Bush Hager and her twin sister, Barbara Pierce Bush, were in their 20s during their father’s tenure as president from 2001 to 2009. Bush Hager has since been candid about her time at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, including when she found herself in handcuffs — twice.
“I didn’t actually go to jail, I just was arrested,” Bush Hager clarified to former Today With Jenna & Hoda cohost Hoda Kotb in 2023. “I wasn’t even arrested; I was never detained. I just got a minor in possession of alcohol when I was 20 years old because I ordered a margarita at Chuy’s with a fake ID.”
Jenna Bush Hager has spent much of her life in the public eye. Even decades after she was introduced to the country as the president’s granddaughter, fans are still intrigued by her relationships, marriage and role as a mother. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Please enter a valid email. Subscribe By […]
Bush Hager alleged that the waitress called the police because “she didn’t like my dad,” adding, “To her credit, that was dumb. I mean, my dad was the president.”
Bush Hager’s first offense occurred in April 2001, when she was arrested on a misdemeanor charge for possession of alcohol under the age of 21 in Texas. One month later, she received another misdemeanor charge for using a fake ID to grab alcohol. (She pleaded no contest to both charges.)
The Today cohost poked fun at her past arrests during an August episode of the NBC show, where she introduced viewers to Ashley Hicks — the daughter of a secret service agent. Bush Hager explained that Hicks caught the attention of online viewers for sharing “typical teenage experiences that many got away with, but she never could.”
“Listen, Ashley. I, too, couldn’t get away with much because I was followed by men with fanny packs that were concealing things,” Bush Hager said, while cohost Craig Melvin quipped, “I recall reading articles many years ago about you getting away with a fair amount.”
Bush Hager joked that she “didn’t get away with it” in the end. “I was arrested! There’s a mugshot that says I didn’t get away with it,” she added. “No, I wasn’t really arrested like that.”
Despite the incident, Melvin, 46, noted that Bush Hager “turned out pretty well.”
About the Author
