NEWSGeorge W. Bush 'Exploded' After Learning Brother Jeb Urged Wife Laura to 'Divorce' Him for 'Her Own Good' Over Past Alcohol Issues: Source
George W. Bush's brother Jeb Bush reportedly stepped in when the former president was experiencing tension in his marriage to Laura Bush.
July 8 2026, Published 8:00 p.m. ET
George W. Bush reportedly saw red after finding out his brother Jeb Bush urged his wife, Laura Bush, to divorce him.
"When George was drinking heavily, he and Laura were having serious marital problems," an insider told RadarOnline.com. "Laura came to level-headed Jeb for advice, and he told her to leave his brother for her own good."
George W. Bush and Laura Bush's Marriage 'Teetered' for Years
Jeb Bush reportedly told Laura Bush to leave his brother for 'her own good.'
According to the source, Jeb, 73, continued to tell the former first lady the same thing "for years," as her marriage to the ex-president, 80, "teetered on the brink."
"Trouble is, during a fight with George, Laura admitted Jeb had told her to file for divorce," the insider continued. "Naturally, her husband exploded and his relationship with Jeb went from bad to toxic."
George W. Bush Gave Up Alcohol
George W. Bush stopped drinking in his early 40s.
George eventually made a major lifestyle change around age 40 when he decided to give up alcohol.
George and Laura, 79, tied the knot in 1977, welcoming twin daughters, Barbara Pierce Bush and Jenna Bush Hager, during their nearly 48-year marriage.
A separate insider told RadarOnline.com that the couple's relationship hit another bump years later when their daughters were teenagers.
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George W. Bush and Laura Bush Were at Odds Over Daughter's Underaged Drinking Bust
George W. Bush and Laura Bush are parents to twin daughter, Barbara and Jenna.
Jenna and Barbara were 19 when they were given separate citations in Texas after being caught drinking underage.
The insider suggested that George offered a laid-back approach to the situation, while Laura wanted to put her foot down. In addition, the source claimed Laura was "fit to be tied" about her husband's "attitude," but George didn't believe that the girls needed "reining in."
"The girls have their father wrapped around their fingers," added the source. "He and Laura are at loggerheads."
Laura Bush Hager Reflected on Underaged Drinking Citation
Jenna Bush Hager reflected on the situation years later on 'Today with Hoda & Jenna.'
Another source confirmed that the incident was "no small squabble" between Laura and George, comparing it to a "battle royale."
Jenna, now 44, later reflected on the incident years later, calling her behavior "so stupid" during a segment on Today With Hoda & Jenna.
"Barbara and I ... were like 19 and a half, maybe 20, close enough but not allowed (to drink)," she said in 2022. "The fact that we thought we could do that just speaks to how (our parents) were like, 'Oh, you can be normal, it's OK.'"
