Jenna Bush Hager says her boobs once ‘turned green’ after bad sunburn

If you need an extra reason as to why it’s important to put on sunscreen every day, then let it be the absolutely shocking sunburn lore that Jenna Bush Hager just dropped on Tuesday’s episode of Today. 

During a conversation with cohost Leslie Bibb about tanning practices, the 43-year-old TV anchor recalled an incident in which she burnt her breasts so badly on a trip to Spain that they actually “turned green” and peeled. 

“I once went to a topless beach — I might have already said this, which is embarrassing — in Spain, in high school,” Hager explained, prompting Bibb to clutch her own breasts as she replied, “You laid out topless in high school?!”

That she did. “And I’ll just say…” Hager continued, shaking her head slowly. “If you get burned, it’s not pretty.” 

When asked if the burn was severe enough to cause Hager’s skin to peel, the host nodded before casually dropping a major bombshell: “And they may have turned green.” 

The confession stunned Bibb into slack-jawed silence, while immediate groans of shock and horror could be heard from the audience offscreen. Really letting everyone in the room bask in the reveal, Hager cheerfully added, “The opposite of the color wheel!”

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly‘s free daily newsletter to get breaking news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Bibb, naturally, had a few questions. “They turned green? Are you for real life?” she asked. When Hager confirmed that they really did change hues, the White Lotus star replied, “Oh, I don’t think that’s good.”

Spoiler alert: it wasn’t — and it did some lasting damage.

“That’s why my skin will not look like yours, unfortunately,” Hager said, noting that she has “years of sun damage” as a result of her teenage tanning.

These days, Hager confirmed she no longer lays out in the sun and attends “regular visits” to get her skin looked at by a dermatologist. “SPF babies, SPF! Get hip with it!” Bibb remarked, with Hager replying, “Please do! And do it when you’re young!”

Bibb, however, still couldn’t shake Hager’s confession even as they began to shift to another segment. “Green!” she exclaimed. “That… makes me sick.”

“It was gross,” Hager agreed. “It was gross!”

Sunburns, which occur when the body is exposed to ultraviolet radiation for a prolonged period of time, aren’t typically known for turning green like in Hager’s case. Instead, Johns Hopkins Medicine states that they often result in symptoms like redness, swelling, pain, blisters, and dry or peeling skin days after the initial incident.

They can be prevented by avoiding extensive sun exposure as well as wearing sunscreen and protective clothing. Stay safe, y’all!

Today airs weekdays on NBC.