Hoda Kotb — Briefly — Leaves the ‘Today’ Show to Take Daughters to School
Hoda Kotb left the Today show early for the sweetest reason.
On Wednesday, September 6, Kotb, 59, excitedly asked producers and cohost Savannah Guthrie, “Can I leave right now?” before Guthrie, 51, explained to viewers that Kotb was “on the run” because “it’s the first day of school.”
Kotb confirmed, “I’m taking my kids to school.” (She shares daughters Haley, 6 and Hope, 4, with ex Joel Schiffman.)
Guthrie, 51, then told her to “give them a hug for us,” to which Kotb replied, “See ya later!”
After dropping her kids off, Kotb made it back to the set on time for her 10 a.m. EST segment, Today with Hoda & Jenna, which also stars Jenna Bush Hager.
Before the big drop off on Wednesday, Kotb shared via Instagram that the girls got new haircuts. In the photos, Haley could be seen with her hair straightened while the Today show’s hairstylist, Laura Bonanni Castorino, trimmed her ends. Hope, for her part, smiled while Castorino cut her locks. Both the girls hugged the hairstylist to celebrate their fresh hairdos.
“Thank you to my pal @lbcastorino ! The best Back to school cuts! First day of school tomorrow!” Kotb, who was smiling in the background of the photo, captioned the post.
‘Today’ Anchor Hoda Kotb’s Family Album With Daughters, Mother Sameha Kotb and L...
Expanding her family! Hoda Kotb has often gushed about how her loved ones have defined her life — especially after the arrival of daughters Haley and Hope. The Today anchor became a mother when she adopted her little ones in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Kotb celebrated the milestone with then-partner Joel Schiffman. The former couple […]
Kotb and Schiffman, 65, met at an event in New York City in 2013, and quickly started dating after. In 2017, they adopted Haley and two years later, he proposed. Although they had plans to get married in 2020, they had to push back the ceremony amid COVID-19 restrictions. In 2022, they decided to call off the nuptials and go their separate ways.
After fans noticed she was no longer wearing her engagement ring on Today, she opened up about their split on a February 2022 episode. “It’s not like something happened … They say sometimes relationships are meant to be there for a reason or a season or for a lifetime. And I feel like ours was meant to be there for a season.”
Today’s Hoda Kotb and Joel Schiffman’s Relationship Timeline
It’s over for Hoda Kotb and Joel Schiffman. Nearly a decade after they first crossed paths, the Today show co-anchor and the financier have ended their romantic relationship. “I met him at an event I didn’t want to go to,” Kotb recalled on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen in 2015, two years after […]
She continued, “Joel and I have had a lot of prayerful and really meaningful conversations over the holidays, and we decided that we’re better as friends and parents than we are as an engaged couple.”
The parents have stayed on good terms and continue to coparent Haley and Hope. In June, Kotb even shared a meaningful tribute for Schiffman on Father’s Day. “Happy father’s day to a great dad!!” she captioned a post of Schiffman playing with the girls.
