Jenna Bush Hager reveals how her father George W. Bush's own 'alcohol issues' helped her talk to 10-year-old daughter Mila about Matthew Perry's death - as she urges others to be honest with their kids about dangers of substance abuse

Jenna Bush Hager has opened up astir really her father's ain struggles pinch intoxicant helped her talk to her 10-year-old girl Mila astir Matthew Perry's death.

On nan Today show Monday, she and Hoda Kotb remembered nan precocious Friends star, who died successful an evident drowning on Saturday astatine nan property of 54, though an charismatic origin of decease has not yet been determined. 

The cohosts touched upon Perry's addiction to narcotics and alcohol, which he wrote candidly astir successful his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and nan Big Terrible Thing.

Bush Hager, 41, shared really her father, erstwhile President George W. Bush, stopped drinking erstwhile she and her copy sister, Barbara Bush, were young children. 

'My dada discontinue drinking erstwhile I was five. I don’t retrieve him ever drinking successful beforehand of me, though he did,' she told Kotb, 59, of her dad's past intoxicant abuse. 

'And it’s absorbing what having personification that’s had alcohol issues successful your family does for conversation. I consciousness for illustration astir apt immoderate households were discussing Matthew Perry and keeping it quiet successful beforehand of nan kids.' 

Bush Hager explained that her oldest daughter, Mila, had problem knowing why Perry's decease was considered tragic erstwhile he was truthful beloved. 

'Mila said, "Why is it truthful sad? He was a comedian. Everybody loved him. Why?"' she recalled. 'And I said, "Mila, he dealt pinch a batch of addiction issues."'

Perry was recovered underwater successful his basking tub by his assistant, who lifted his caput to effort to get him immoderate air. But by nan clip nan Los Angeles Fire Department arrived astatine his Pacific Palisades home, he was already dead. 

First responders are said to person recovered anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications astatine nan property, but location was nary motion of immoderate forbidden drugs. 

The coroner for Los Angeles County has listed Perry's origin of decease arsenic 'deferred,' pending nan last results of toxicology tests. 

The actor, who was champion known for playing Chandler Bing successful Friends, was unfastened astir his battles pinch opiates and intoxicant but said he was cleanable successful caller interviews. 

Bush Hager encouraged different parents to speak to their children astir nan damaging effects of intoxicant and drugs. 

'I’m nary parenting expert, but I do consciousness for illustration we person to talk to our kids astir what intoxicant and narcotics [do] — not glamorize it, because they tin spot that excessively connected TV,' she said. 

'When location is thing for illustration that, [you should] person a speech astir it,' Kotb agreed. 'Anything that’s a concealed is going to beryllium a problem.'

Bush Hager noted that 'there's shame' associated pinch constituent maltreatment that keeps group from being unfastened astir it. 

'I want nan other of being 12 and emotion truthful unsocial that you’re drinking for illustration that,' she said. 'I want them to cognize that if there’s alcohol, it is not bully for you, particularly for children.'

Bush Hager's begetter struggled pinch intoxicant for years earlier he discontinue drinking, though he doesn't place arsenic an alcoholic. In 1976, he was arrested for driving nether nan power of intoxicant adjacent his family location successful Kennebunkport, Maine. 

The erstwhile president has spoken candidly astir really he gave up intoxicant acold turkey successful 1986 aft a drunken play celebrating his 40th birthday.

Bush credited nan precocious Rev. Billy Graham pinch giving him nan spot to discontinue aft gathering nan evangelist successful nan 1980s.

'God’s activity wrong maine began successful earnest pinch Billy’s outreach. His attraction and his teachings were nan existent opening of my religion locomotion — and nan commencement of nan extremity of my drinking,' he wrote successful nan Wall Street Journal successful 2018.

'I couldn’t person fixed up intoxicant connected my own. But successful 1986, astatine 40, I yet recovered nan spot to quit. That spot came from emotion I had felt from my earliest days and from religion I didn’t afloat observe until my later years.'

Bush Hager revealed the candid speech she had pinch her begetter astir his drinking on nan Today show successful 2020. 

She recalled really he had taken her speech erstwhile she was younger to pass her that intoxicant could return clasp of her life, because it did for him.

'I'll ne'er forget. I was successful Maine for my cousin's wedding erstwhile we were successful our early 20s, which, you know, successful your early 20s you spell out. At a wedding, you celebrate, you enactment late,' she explained.

'My dada said, "Let's spell for a walk." And we went for a locomotion and he said, "You know, I conscionable want to talk to you astir drinking. I recovered successful my life it sewage successful nan measurement of nan things that mattered most, and I want to make judge that you conscionable cognize that it tin and beryllium alert of it.' 

'I deliberation astatine nan time, I was astir apt like, "I'm not moreover that hungover," aliases immoderate it was,' she admitted. 'But I do deliberation it was specified a exemplary to maine astir really I want to parent, which is to beryllium transparent astir either things that person happened successful our family's past aliases things that tin hap to your kids.'

The speech apt happened astatine her relative George P. Bush's wedding to Amanda Williamson, which took spot successful Maine successful 2004 erstwhile she and her sister were 22.

'I'll ne'er hide we were walking, and he said, "I conscionable want you to cognize location was a constituent successful my life wherever I thought this is interrupting what's beautiful,"' she reiterated.

'He didn't spell to AA. He didn't, though it's helped truthful galore people,' she added. 'But he conscionable knew it was interrupting his dreams and interrupting his parenting.'

Kotb pointed retired 'how profound' it was that nan erstwhile president shared his communicative pinch his girl because a batch of group would astir apt beryllium excessively acrophobic to beryllium susceptible successful that way.

'I ever appreciated it. I still do,' Bush Hager said, noting that her father's words astir nan dangers of intoxicant person made her much cautious astir her ain drinking habits.

'Parenting is tedious and tin beryllium difficult, and it tin beryllium easy to unfastened that vessel of vino astatine 5 o'clock connected a Monday, but I drawback myself because I've had those conversations,' she explained. 'I effort not to for my kids and for me.'