NEW YORK — It’s been six months since Nancy Guthrie, mother of “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie, was last seen alive, and her family is still desperate for answers.

“Every day, we wake up and try to be strong and go on — because that’s what our joyful and resilient Mom taught us to do. But make no mistake — our hearts are in ruins,” Savannah Guthrie wrote in an Instagram post shared on Saturday, which also featured a black-and-white photo of her mother.

“There is an ache that cannot be softened. And there is a determination in us that cannot be quenched — to find out what happened to her, so that we can give her the dignity of a proper goodbye — a celebration of her remarkable life that she so deserves,” she continued.

Guthrie, who at 84 years old is barely mobile and suffers from a heart condition, has not been seen or heard from since Jan. 31. She went out to dinner that night with her other daughter, Annie, who later dropped her off at her Tucson home between 9:30 and 9:45 p.m., police said. She was reported missing the following day, after she failed to show up for remote church services as usual.

There have been few breaks in the case other than surveillance video footage authorities said captured a potential suspect, who has been described as “a male, approximately 5’9″ – 5’10,” with an average build.

He was also wearing all black in the video clip, in addition to a 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.

In the wake of Nancy’s disappearance, a local news outlet received a pair of ransom notes, both of which were made public on Friday. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office said the messages feature “distinctive patterns of word choice, syntax, and phraseology” they hope may generate new leads.

“A friend, family member, co-worker, classmate or acquaintance may recognize these patterns of expression and possess information that could help identify the individual responsible,” police said.

The first note, sent the day after her disappearance, was addressed to Guthrie and demanded $4 million in bitcoin by the night of Feb. 5. It also noted that Nancy was “safe but scared” and emphasized that she would not be released until the payment had been made.

“We will be holding her for a maximum of 7 days,” it said. “If payment is not received by the last deadline on Monday the 9th at 5 PM, she will be killed. Your mother is aware of this and her life is in your hands. It is in the best interest of everyone to have this completed as soon as possible.”

The second note, sent on Feb. 6, addressed the “Guthrie Family” and claimed that Nancy had died.

“We did not fully grasp the seriousness of her physical condition,” the note read.

“We never intended to hurt her, that was not our intention,” it went on. “She perished shortly after she was taken. We believe it was heart related. She is buried in nature now. Nothing you could have done could have changed the outcome. We want your family to know this and hope you all can find peace. We are truly sorry.”

In light of the ransom notes’ release, Guthrie on Saturday once again called on anyone with information in the case to come forward.

“Someone knows something. Someone suspects something. Someone recognizes the writing in the ransom demand notes. Someone has noticed something different, strange, troubling or just unusual — perhaps with someone they deeply love,” she wrote. “Perhaps they are afraid to come forward. Perhaps they are conflicted. Perhaps they are angry or upset for being in this situation. There is a way out — to tell what you know.”

She concluded: “We will never stop looking for answers — and we will never stop looking for the light. We will always be hoping and praying and believing in the best of our world — in spite of circumstance.”

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Ariana Grande will step back from “public-facing work” to take a break from an overabundance of public scrutiny after her Eternal Sunshine tour concludes in September, the “Thank U, Next” singer announced Sunday through a rep.

“Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour,” a rep for the 33-year-old musician and actress told People. “She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny.”

Besides the tsunami of online commentary about her appearance, the unremitting speculation about her romantic life, and the recent lawsuit she filed against a group of alleged music thieves is the physical nature of the tour itself, an insider told People.

“She performs a very physical show, and there is a lot of athleticism involved,” the person said. “She performs healthily and successfully at a very high level night after night.”

Among other implications, Grande’s move means she won’t perform in next summer’s London revival of “Sunday in the Park With George” alongside “Wicked” co-star Jonathan Bailey, People reported. The inside source assured People that Grande “cannot wait to support the brilliant team bringing this project to life.”

Making music has been a source of solace for the “Hate That I Made You Love Me” singer, helping her through the aftermath of the deadly suicide bombing outside her concert in Manchester, England, in 2017, she told The Hollywood Reporter last year in a podcast. Her 2019 release “Thank U, Next,” followed ex-boyfriend Mac Miller’s overdose death and her breakup with then-fiance Pete Davidson.

Grande won’t be completely absent from the public eye. She stars in the upcoming comedy “Focker-in-Law,” co-starring Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro, due out Nov. 25.

The rep emphasized that the Eternal Sunshine tour has lived up to its name and then some, and that Grande’s need for rest has nothing to do with her fans.

“This tour has been a beautiful experience for her,” the rep told People. “She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”

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ROME — Rock legend Patti Smith was giddy and almost at a loss for words when she met Friday with Pope Leo XIV.

“Hi,” she said softly as she sat down across from Leo at his desk in the Apostolic Palace.

Wearing a crucifix necklace and hair in her trademark braids, Smith has become an increasingly visible presence at the Vatican thanks to her friendship with the Rev. Antonio Spadaro, undersecretary in the Vatican’s culture ministry.

She has said that while she is not Catholic, she was drawn in particular to Pope Francis and his “gentle, open, and steadfast sense of humanity.”

She also had a thing for Pope John Paul I: Her 1979 tune “Wave,” is about a make-believe conversation with the pope who had just died after a 33-day papacy. It begins “Hi. Hi” uttered in the same breathy voice Smith used with Leo on Friday.

The pope clearly was familiar with the tune. “That was marvelous,” he said.

Earlier this year, Smith performed during the inauguration of the Holy See’s pavilion at the Venice Biennale contemporary art fair. The occasion, May 8, was the anniversary of Leo’s election.

Spadaro, who joined Smith at Friday’s audience, said the encounter between the two Chicago natives was around 40 minutes long. In a text message, he said it “felt more like a conversation between two people discovering they were old friends, sharing memories woven from words and music, dreams, visions, and hopes — both from yesterday and for today.”

He said at the end, Smith said “Bye. Bye.”

Smith met Francis in 2013 and sang for him in 2014. When he died, on April 21, 2025, she wrote a poem on social media, comparing Francis to a dandelion, “humble yet strong.”

“Nature and poetry and the suffering shall miss their champion,” she wrote.

It was Leo’s second encounter with a music legend this week. On Wednesday, Leo attended a concert in his honor by tenor Andrea Bocelli.

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From combined wire services