‘Today’ anchor discloses husband did consulting work for Depp’s legal team

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NBC “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie revealed that her husband provided consulting services for Johnny Depp’s legal team.

“A quick disclosure, my husband has done consulting work for the Depp legal team, but not in connection with this interview,” said Guthrie on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, before a live, in-studio interview with Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez.

Guthrie’s husband, Michael Feldman, whom she married in 2014, is billed as a public relations and communications consultant as part of The Glover Park Group, which he founded.

NBC did not return requests for comment from multiple outlets about whether the interview could be perceived as an ethical violation given that Guthrie could be seen as having a reason to cast Depp favorably.

Another possible ethical issue is how the network landed the interview, though, again, that has not been directly addressed by NBC.

Watch @SavannahGuthrie's full interview with Johnny Depp's attorneys, Camille Vasquez and Benjamin Chew. pic.twitter.com/lGqAHBzaKQ

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) June 8, 2022

While the case has a decidedly Hollywood angle to it, it delved into some serious accusations, including abuse and defamation, that make it much more than a more typical story about a troubled showbiz marriage.

Guthrie also did not make any such on-air disclosure when she conducted an interview with Elaine Bredehoft, an attorney for Depp’s now ex-wife Amber Heard the day after a jury found in favor of Depp in the defamation case. This interview further muddies the ethical waters because Guthrie, again, could be perceived as having reason to cast Depp in more favorable light.

That said, Bredehoft said that Heard had been “demonized” during the trial and called it a “zoo,” two claims that Guthrie did not appear to push back on.

Despite Guthrie making the on-air disclosure, NBC probably could have played it safe and handed the interview over to another “Today” anchor, of which there are plenty to chose from. In many cases of journalistic ethics, it’s often considered better to remove even the suggestion of impropriety or bias.