Willie Geist Shares Exclusive Update on Daughter Lucie’s First Year at College

 Willie Geist Shares Exclusive Update on Daughter Lucie’s First Year at College

Willie Geist Shares Exclusive Update on Daughter Lucie’s First Year at College

Willie Geist says his daughter Lucie's college experience is off to a "good" start.

The Sunday Today host, 50, caught up with PEOPLE at the National Board of Review Annual Awards Gala on Tuesday, Jan. 13, and shared an update on how Lucie's freshman year at college is going.

"She's good," he said, quickly adding, "It's funny — the anticipation I found of her leaving was much worse than the actual act of her leaving. She's so happy at school, and she loves it so much that if she's happy, my wife and I are happy."

He said that knowing that Lucie, 18, is thriving as a college student "kind of relieves all that anxiety."

"It's obviously a huge step in our lives and in her life, but we're so happy for her that all that anxious energy and tension that was building over the summer, and what's it going to be like when she leaves, [has had a positive ending]," Willie added. "It was sad to say goodbye, but the minute she went, she was thrilled and happy. So we're good."

Willie Geist and daughter Lucie in December 2025.

Willie Geist/Instagram

Willie shares Lucie and son George, 16, with his wife, Christina Geist.

In September, the TV news personality opened up about how he felt when he dropped off his eldest child at her college. During an appearance on Today with Jenna & Friends, he said that the moment went "much better than we thought it would."

"And the reason it’s gone much better than we thought it would — of course, it was sad in the moment when we said goodbye, but because she is so happy and we realized she is so ready," he explained, echoing the comments he made at Tuesday's gala. "And you realize all that you’ve poured into this person for 18 years is now paying off, and she can handle herself. And she’s happy and she’s good."

Willie Geist at the National Board of Review Annual Awards Gala in N.Y.C. on Jan. 13, 2026.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Willie said he did get a bit "teary" as he hugged Lucie for a final time before leaving, but recalled being comforted by something a friend had told him.

"A mutual friend of ours once told me when you drop them off at college, if they don’t look back, you’ve done it right," Geist said. "And so [Lucie] walked away and maybe gave a little [look back], but then she just kind of hopped up the stairs and went on to this new chapter. And she’s doing great. So it was beautiful."

Willie's wife, 50, shared a similar take on the bittersweet parenting milestone in an Aug. 18 Instagram post.

"As we walked away from campus and flew back home, we were proud, we were emotional, we were of course weepy. But, I just can’t call it sadness. I was honestly so surprised at myself. It was — I guess I’d call it — peace," she wrote.

Before Lucie's departure for college, Willie spoke about how their family of four would need to adjust to being a family of three while she's away.

"Somebody’s taken a tire off the car, and you’ve got to figure out how to drive the car on three wheels, you know?” he said while chatting with some of his colleagues on Today in June.

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