Jenna Bush Hager Says She Was “Kicked Out” of Daughter’s Volleyball Game for Cheering Too Loudly
Last Updated on April 28, 2026 by Bella
During the April 24 episode of Today With Jenna & Sheinelle, Jenna Bush Hager revealed that her loud support for daughter Mila once got her effectively banned from one of the teen’s volleyball games.
The conversation began after Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones reacted to a clip of Running Point stars Kate Hudson and Brenda Song cheering courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game, which led Jones to ask Bush Hager if she was the loud type, too. Bush Hager quickly answered, “I’m Brenda,” before confirming that she had once gotten “kicked out” of one of Mila’s matches.
Jenna Bush Hager Says She Was Put in a “Free Zone”
Jenna Bush Hager explained that she was not exactly thrown out in dramatic fashion, but she was sidelined in another way. “Well, I didn’t get kicked out, like, removed immediately. I got put into a free zone,” she said while recalling the incident. She said she had been watching Mila play volleyball and got caught up in the action because cheering comes naturally to her.
She also explained why sports bring out that side of her. Bush Hager said she grew up around games because her father, former President George W. Bush, worked in baseball, and she spent years attending games and cheering in the stands. “I love to cheer,” she said, adding that she has always felt like “a sports kid.”
The Moment That Apparently Went Too Far
According to Jenna Bush Hager, the problem was not even full on heckling, though she admitted she does enjoy that too. She told Jones and viewers, “But I also really love heckling, but I didn’t heckle at Mila’s volleyball game.” Instead, she said she simply shouted out the score during a tense moment in the match. “The score was six to seven, and I go, ‘Six seven!’” she said, before recreating Mila’s horrified reaction.
That moment clearly left an impression. Bush Hager revealed that she only attended one volleyball game this year because her husband, Henry Hager, basically warned her to tone it down. “I was frozen out. I went to one volleyball game this year because Henry was like, ‘No, no, no. She’s serious,’” she said.
Even Her Son Has Asked Her Not to Cheer
The volleyball story is apparently not the only example of Jenna Bush Hager’s overexcited sports parent energy. She also shared that her son Hal has asked her to keep it down during his flag football games. “Now, on the flag football thing, Hal’s like, ‘Don’t cheer. You’re too loud, Mom,’” she said.
Sheinelle Jones then chimed in with her own family sports story, recalling that her late husband, Uche Ojeh, used to cheer loudly at their children’s games while she would try to quiet him down. Jones said she tends to get nervous and pace more than yell, explaining that watching your child play can feel emotional and intense because “your heart is on the field” or “your heart is on the court.”
Jenna Bush Hager Thinks She May Get Another Chance
Even after being “frozen out,” Bush Hager sounded hopeful that she may be welcomed back into full cheering duty next season. She joked that she thinks she might be “unfrozen for next year,” adding that the key is simple: “I’m just not gonna try to be the center of attention.”
TL;DR
- Jenna Bush Hager said she was once put in a “free zone” at daughter Mila’s volleyball game after cheering too loudly.
- She shared the story during the April 24 episode of Today With Jenna & Sheinelle.
- Bush Hager also said her children sometimes ask her to stay quieter at their sports events.
