In 2004, when Katie Holmes set her sights on starring in a film titled First Daughter, she had a clear muse in mind to bring life into her character. The storyline revolved around a president’s daughter yearning for an ordinary life, paralleling the real-life narrative of George W. Bush’s own daughter, Jenna Bush Hager. However, when Holmes contemplated reaching out to prepare for her role in Bush Hager, she hesitated, sensing that the actress might feel embarrassed after knowing the full truth.
As reported by People magazine, on her own show titled Today with Hoda & Jenna, where she co-hosts alongside Hoda Kotb, the actual First Daughter made some shocking revelations
George W. Bush’s Daughter Was Afraid of Embarrassing Katie Holmes
Upon George W. Bush’s ascension to the presidency, he made a pledge to his twin daughters, assuring them the ability to preserve their everyday lives. Fueled by a desire for a normal college experience, the girls took the step of enrolling in colleges, yearning to lead a life like their fellow students. Yet, reality diverged from the promise. While the Secret Service closely shadowed their every move, and the media constantly awaited a headline, the reality of their college experiences stood in stark contrast to the wild and exaggerated depictions often portrayed in popular imagination and cinema. Jenna Bush Hager said,
“We were 18, and he knew how badly we wanted just to go to college and live normal lives,—That was his promise to us: ‘Don’t worry. You can live normal lives.’ Which ended up not being exactly true. We were maybe all slightly naive, to be honest.”
So, when Katie Holmes sought insight into the film she was working on, based on the very narrative Bush Hager had lived, she held back from disclosing the truth about her uneventful college journey, fearing it might only heighten the actress’s embarrassment of her. In this context, what seemed unremarkable to Bush Hager was, in fact, quite thrilling, a life like any regular college student, lacking the glamour and excitement necessary for the story, as she saw it.
Jenna Bush Hager Declined Meeting With Katie Holmes
Thus, when Holmes finally reach out to the first daughter, Bush Hager, perhaps foreseeing the potential awkwardness, she decided to decline the call. She stated,
“I was at the library and living a normal life as a college freshman,–I felt she would be disappointed with whatever she saw.”
Moreover, the aspiration to lead a low-key college life proved to be a challenging endeavor. Welcoming another set of eyes to scrutinize her personal journey, with the intention of transforming it into inspirational movie material, stood at the bottom of her list of priorities. The relentless pursuit by tabloids and media already weighed heavily on her, contributing an additional layer of pressure that she was already contending with. Regarding the media attention, she stated,
.“The world was expecting us to be perfect–But our parents did not, which is the absolute best blessing that they could have ever given us: the freedom just to be ourselves and to make mistakes.”
Thus, she’s now grateful for the space and freedom her sister and she received. They were allowed to make their own mistakes and find their own paths. She’s glad this sense of liberation persisted despite their elevated status and the responsibilities seemingly imposed upon them by society’s expectations.
Also Read: Jamie Foxx Reacts Strongly to Questions About His Private Life with Katie Holmes
Source: People Magazine
