Mikaela Shiffrin Drops the F-Bomb Live on the “Today ”Show: 'S---! I'm So Sorry'

Rachel McRadyThu, February 19, 2026 at 2:36 PM UTC

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Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin, Mikaela Shiffrin

Mikaela Shiffrin accidentally swore during a live Today show interview while discussing her late father and emotional gold medal win

The Olympian blamed espresso martinis from the night before for her slip-up, joking about her teammates encouraging her to celebrate

The Today co-hosts reassured Mikaela, praising her authenticity and celebrating her historic third Olympic gold medal victory

While she didn’t make a mistake on the slopes, Team USA gold medal skier Mikaela Shiffrin had a major flub on Thursday, Feb. 19, during a live broadcast on the Today show.

The 30-year-old Olympian was being interviewed live from Milan, Italy, the day after she won gold medal in women's slalom. While discussing an emotional moment she had at the top of the mountain, speaking to her late father, Jeff Shiffrin, who died suddenly in 2020, Mikaela accidentally let multiple expletives slip.

“There’s been, definitely, a spiritual journey I’ve been on the last year. I just, I don’t know, I took a moment and I said… f---ing,” Mikaela said before exclaiming, “S---!” clamping her hand over her mouth and saying, “Oh my God, I’m so sorry.”

Co-hosts Carson Daly, Hoda Kotb and Craig Melvin loved the moment, cracking up and reassuring the Olympic athlete it was fine.

“We got you!” Kotb assured her. “We’ll pay the fine,” she added, referencing the FCC Broadcasting rules.

Team USA skier Mikaela Shiffrin reacts to accidentally dropping the F-bomb live on the 'Today' show.

Melvin quipped, “We know what you meant. We know what you meant. You’re wearing gold! It’s okay. It’s okay,” later adding of Mikaela, “She’s just like us!”

Mikaela struggled to move past the flub, saying, “Oh my God, that’s so bad.”

She later discussed her teammates pushing espresso martinis on her the previous night after she won gold.

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“Everyone kept handing me espresso martinis because I said it was my destiny to have one last night,” she explained. “So everyone kept bringing them to me, but then they would also say — which may be some of the reason for the swearing, so sorry again — but no, they just kept handing them to me. They’re like, ‘But pace yourself. Here’s another but pace yourself.’ ”

Carson Daly, Hoda Kotb and Craig Melvin interview Mikaela Shiffrin on the 'Today' show.

The NBC morning show co-hosts were charmed by the impromptu moment, with Kotb adding, “If it was possible to love you even more than we already did, today’s the day!”

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After Mikaela signed off, Daly, who lost both his parents in 2017, said of Mikaela’s response, “It’s not a canned answer. You know, she’s talking about her father. She’s moved in the moment. It happens.”

Mikaela Shiffrin holds up her Olympic gold medal on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at the Milan Winter Olympics.

Daniel Kopatsch/VOIGT/Getty

Weatherman Al Roker joked, “I always thought that was gonna be me.”

Mikaela’s major win at the Milan Cortina Games ended an eight-year Olympic medal drought for the professional athlete. She also became the first U.S. skier to win three Olympic gold medals, following her 2014 gold in Sochi in the same event, and giant slalom gold in Pyeongchang in 2018.

To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Milan Cortina Olympics and Paralympics, beginning Feb. 6, on NBC and Peacock.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”