Hoda Kotb still finds joy in her relationship with Joel Schiffman.
During a guest appearance on Today Sept. 23, the former co-anchor revealed where she stands with her former fiancé, who shares daughters Haley, 8, and Hope, 6.
“I went to this retreat and had kind of an epiphany about my life and I was realizing that you can love someone—like I loved him very much, and still do to this day—but that person isn’t right for you in that moment,” Hoda told Today‘s Savannah Guthrie. “And you can say to yourself, ‘Wow, I’m ready to try to get other buckets of mine filled.'”
Hoda announced her breakup with Joel in January 2022 after eight years together. And as the author of the new book Jump and Find Joy noted, “I was too busy sprinting. Now I can feel my life slowing down a little, like I feel more of a rhythm. I have barbecues in the backyard, and Joel comes. We invite neighbors over. We have kids running around. There’s a dog.”
As Hoda mentioned, she and Joel continue to co-parent their daughters. In fact, this past June, Hoda shared a sweet message to Joel on Father’s Day.
“A great father’s day for a great dad!” she wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of her ex with Haley and Hope. “Happy father’s day Joel!”
And this isn’t the only time Hoda has sung Joel’s praises since their split. “Joel is one of the best people I know, and he really is a great human being,” she said on the Jamie Kern Lima Show in 2024. “And I feel like I’m a pretty great human being, but sometimes two great human beings together isn’t quite enough to make it work.”
Hoda, who adopted Haley and Hope with Joel, credits her ex with helping her embark on her motherhood journey.
“I have two incredible children I share with him,” Hoda told People in 2022. “And it’s because of Joel that I have Haley and Hope, without question. I think I might have been too afraid to do it alone.”
Look back at Hoda’s sweetest moments with their kids.
New Year, New Fun
The Joy 101 founder celebrated the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year by walking her daughters Haley and Hope to campus.
School Drop Off
Hoda celebrates her first free morning after leaving Today by personally dropping daughters Hope and Joy off at school.
Mommy Duty
“School drop!!! Let’s goooo!” the longtime NBC anchor captioned her Jan. 13, 2025 Instagram.
Halloween 2024
After announcing she’s leaving Today, Hoda celebrates her first Halloween in the New York suburbs with her kids.
Cheer-Worthy
Haley and Hope match in cheerleader costumes.
Mother’s Day Surprise
Hoda got emotional as Haley and Hope surprised her with an early Mother’s Day gift.
Birthday Celebrations
Joined by her siblings Hala and Adel, nieces Hannah and Ella, mom Sami, daughters Haley Joy and Hope Catherine and fiancé Joel Schiffman, Hoda Kotb described the celebration as “my kinda birthday.”
I <3 NY
Hoda enjoys a day with her daughters Haley Joy and Hope Catherine around New York City together.
Queens of Halloween
Another Halloween in the books! Hoda and her first daughter spend their another Halloween together as their Sesame Street alter egos.
Family Forever
The Today show momma spends time with her own mom (and Haley’s grandma!) in this cute group shot on Halloween 2019.
Party Time
The host shared this pic of her and her little one at a Sesame Street party in Oct. 2019.
Suns Out, Funs Out
The daytime talk show host spends a day splashing around the beach in Aug. 2019.
Gift for Mama
Haley Joy looks cute as a button celebrating her mom’s 55th birthday this past August.
Sweet Sister
“Look who is feeding Hope!” Kotb wrote on her Instagram in May 2019, showing off Haley feeding her newborn Hope.
Friends for Life
Kathie Lee Gifford, Hoda’s close friend and long-time former co-host at Today, met Hope in early May and they were all smiles all day.
A Full House
In April, the 55-year-old host shared a photo of her full family for the first time on Instagram writing, “This is us xo.”
Welcome Hope Catherine!
It’s a girl! Hoda introduced Hope to the world after surprising her Today show family on-air revealing that she had secretly adopted her second child.
Birthday Girl
On Valentine’s Day, the TV host celebrated Haley’s second birthday and shared on Instagram how she felt saying, “So much love today.”
Ho Ho Home
The beaming TV personality spent Christmas with her mother, sister and daughter.
Queen Bees
Haley celebrated her second Halloween by twinning with her mom in matching bee costumes.
Apple of Her Eye
In August of 2018, the mother-daughter duo spent an autumn day together picking apples.
Splashing Around
“I can’t believe I get to do this .. #grateful” she wrote on her 54th birthday.
Proud Mama
On Mother’s Day, Today co-anchor Hoda posed with her one-year-old cutie, Haley, as she sported a cute tee with the word “mama.”
Mother’s Day Duo
“Pre dawn photo shoots in bed are a blast,” gushed the happy mom in a cute Insta selfie early on Mother’s Day.
Sixtieth Surprise
On March 2018, the Oklahoma-native celebrated partner Joel Schiffman‘s 60th birthday with their baby girl and a homemade cake.
Post-Olympic Bliss
“Home!!!!!” announced the TV host on Instagram after spending two weeks covering the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Pre-Olympics Shenanigans
The day before arriving in Pyeongchang for the 2018 Winter Olympics, the TV personality had some fun with her little sweetheart and her USA beanie.
Football’s Cutest Fan
Gooo Saints! Hoda and her little sport’s fan cheered on the New Orleans Saints in their game against the Minnesota Vikings on January 14.
Christmas Stripe Stars
“Santa we are ready!!!” the journalist wrote on this Christmas selfie with her mom, her partner and her little angel.
Turkey Time
On November 23, Hoda posed with her partner and her baby girl for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
