NEWSJenna Bush Hager Pokes Fun at Her 2001 Arrest in Cheeky Internet Trend: 'If You Know, You Know'
Jenna Bush Hager joked about her past teenage escapades.
July 14 2026, Published 5:10 p.m. ET
Jenna Bush Hager uploaded a TikTok video joking about her 2001 arrest and teenage escapades in Texas.
Bush Hager was arrested twice at 19 while attending the University of Texas at Austin in 2001, shortly after her father, George W. Bush, took office.
The first was in April 2001 for a misdemeanor possession of alcohol at an Austin bar. A month later, she was handcuffed with her twin sister, Barbara, for attempting to purchase alcohol with a fake ID at a Mexican restaurant.
Jenna Bush Hager joked about her 2001 arrest.
Jenna Bush Hager joked that she was 'preparing her Netflix documentary.'
Referencing her past arrests, Jenna engaged in a trend in which people pretend to sit down for a documentary while suspenseful music plays in the background.
"Preparing for my Netflix documentary about that on time at El Arroyo when I was 19," Jenna captioned the post. "If you know, you know."
The media personality had actually been detained at Chuy's, another famous Mexican restaurant in Texas.
Jenna Bush Hager was arrested in 2001, when she was 19 years old.
However, when Jenna and her former co-host Hoda Kotb took the road in Texas in 2024, it was El Arroyo who claimed her underage drinking escapades.
"Celebrating Serving Jenna Margaritas for 24 Years," read the sign outside their restaurant. Jenna was 42 at the time, according to Culture Map Austin.
"You know what, Chuy's," she said on air. "You had your opportunity and you blew it!"
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How Did the Internet React?
Jenna Bush Hager's comment section found her jokes hilarious.
Commenters online found Jenna poking fun at her teenage self to be quite hilarious and chimed in with their thoughts.
"JENNA," one person wrote. "Girl, all of us were drinking margs at Mexican restaurants at 19. It’s okay."
"Hahaha, Austin, Texas, baby!!!! You were a college student," a second chimed in. "People need to chill."
"D---, Austin will get you every dang time," a third wrote.
"Us Texas girlies know what’s up!" another added.
Jenna Bush Hager clarified that she 'didn't go to jail.'
Jenna pleaded no contest to both of her alcohol-related charges, reported People. Both she and her sister were punished with no more than some court fines and a few hours of community service.
"I didn't actually go to jail, I just was arrested," she clarified of her criminal past in 2023. "I wasn't even arrested; I was never detained. I just got a minor in possession of alcohol."
Jenna recalled feeling like a "failure" in the early 2000s as tabloids scrutinized her every move, especially her underage drinking on a May episode of TODAY With Jenna and Sheinelle.
"They were ruthless back in the ‘90s," she said. "But I would say failing is one of the most important parts of life. If you don’t fail, you don’t learn to have grit."
