Eva Longoria Tells Jenna Bush Hager Her Mom Laura Bush ‘Put Desperate Housewives on the Map’

Eva Longoria has the former first lady to thank for Desparate Housewives’ success!

The actress, 49, told Jenna Bush Hager while appearing as a guest co-host on Today with Jenna & Friends on Tuesday, Jan. 14, that her mom Laura Bush put the hit show “on the map” after its debut 20 years ago.

“Do you remember when my mom made that Desperate Housewives joke?” Jenna, 43, asked series alum Longoria, who replied, “Yes, your mom put us on the map!”

“Your mom said she was ‘the ultimate desperate housewife,’” recalled Longoria, referring to the joke made by the former first lady over her husband George W. Bush at the 2005 White House Correspondent’s Dinner.

“—As the first lady!” Jenna interjected as Longoria repeated, “That’s what Ms. Bush said, y’all. When she was first lady.”

Jenna and Longoria then reflected on how big of a success Desperate Housewives, which ran from 2004 to 2012 for eight seasons, was at the time.

“How big was that show that that was what they talked about at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner?” Jenna pondered, to which Longoria responded, “Right, different time.”

During her speech at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in 2005, Laura, now 78, caused quite the reaction after making a joke about being married to former President Bush, also 78. 

“I am married to the President of the United States and here’s our typical evening – 9 o’clock, Mr. Excitement here is sound asleep and I’m watching ‘Desperate Housewives with Lynne Cheney — Ladies and gentlemen, I am a ‘Desperate Housewife,'” she joked in her speech. “I mean, if those women on that show think they are desperate, they ought to be with George.”

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Speaking about the joke in 2014, the former first lady said, “It was funny and I think it was shocking to people as well … it was funny in the United States and everyone understands it, I think, and knows that it’s a roast,” per C-SPAN.

Laura also recalled how “the people from overseas were shocked” by her joke, adding, “After that when we would travel overseas, some world leader would say, ‘Are you a desperate housewife?'”

Desperate Housewives is streaming in full on Hulu, Disney+ and Prime Video.