today hoda kotb in tears heartbreaking conversation on air

Today's Hoda Kotb in tears as she talks about 'pain' and 'loss' live on air during emotional chat

The Today star was visibly upset on Monday's show

US Managing Editor
Updated: October 25, 2022

Hoda Kotb is a beloved TV host who is always able to relate to the people she interviews.

MORE: Hoda Kotb hosts Today alone as she delivers heartbreaking news

The Today star was visibly emotional on Monday's show as she opened up about her own experience with grief as she interviewed Wynonna Judd, whose mother Naomi Judd passed away in April.

Hoda herself has experienced the loss of a parent herself, with her father, Abdel Kader Kotb, passing away from a heart attack in 1986 aged just 51, while she was still at college.

VIDEO: Hoda Kotb's family life away from the spotlight

Wynonna told the news anchor that she was "somewhere between hell and hallelujah," following her mother's passing, to which Hoda understood only too well.

MORE: Hoda Kotb 'breaks down in tears' during BravoCon

MORE: Hoda Kotb talks difficult career goodbyes with Today co-star

Visibly emotional, the mom-of-two wiped away tears and said: "Pain comes in waves. Whenever I've suffered a loss, sometimes it comes like a tidal wave. And sometimes it's calm and you almost forget."

In June, Hoda paid a touching tribute to her late father on Father's Day, alongside a black-and-white photo of them.

Hoda Kotb had a relatable chat to Wynonna Judd on Monday's Today

She simply captioned the post: "Happy Father's Day dad." Hoda has spoken out about losing her father on several occasions, and recalled the moment she found out he had died during a previous episode of Today.

MORE: Savannah Guthrie shares glamorous new selfie from backstage at Today

MORE: Hoda Kotb reveals exciting new venture away from Today Show

"It was like one of those calls in the night that you go, 'Oh my Gosh,'" she said of learning the moment her dad had passed away.

She added: "He just led by example. He was someone who was such a hard worker. They [Hoda's parents] came here from Egypt, you know, and they really made their life."

Hoda with her mom Sammi who she is incredibly close to

Hoda also told the Daily Mail in 2018 about how her father's death influenced her to become a mother herself. "I think any older mom who says they haven't done the math is probably lying. I've absolutely thought about it and what it means. What it means for the future. But my dad passed away when he was in his early 50s and I was in my early 20s…

MORE: Today's Savannah Guthrie was 'mad' at her co-star Hoda Kotb after the star didn't listen to her 

MORE: Jenna Bush Hager shares heartfelt message to Today co-star Savannah Guthrie

"I was a junior in college. It was sudden, and scary, and terrible. But the seeds he lay for me during those 20 years, remain with me today. The things he taught me are still a part of me now," she said.

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