Hoda Kotb is a proud mom to two daughters, whom she is raising with her ex Joel Schiffman. No doubt, as she's leaving the Today Show, she's looking forward to spending more time with her kids.
The veteran anchor told her co-hosts, as she revealed the news: "I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of the time pie that I have," adding: "I feel like we only have a finite amount of time."
© InstagramHoda, 60, adopted Haley and Hope when they were newborns, and they often make sweet appearances on the anchor's social media accounts, and even occasionally on NBC's The Today Show. Hope and Haley are both growing up knowing they are adopted, with Hoda once sharing that when Haley asks if she came from her mommy's tummy, Hoda replies: "No you came from mommy's heart."
They often join their mom in the New York studios – in April, after Hoda wrapped up her duties in studio 1A, she took her daughters to Kelly Clarkson's studio for a surprise visit, where they met Kelly and Meghan Trainor. And despite Hoda and Joel's split in 2022, they have maintained a close relationship for their girls, and on Father's Day in 2024 she shared a sweet snap of the girls snuggling on the sofa with Joel at Hoda's waterfront home.
She captioned the post: "Happy Father’s day to the best dad."
Here is all we know about Haley, seven, and five-year-old Hope…
Haley Joy, seven
© NBC/InstagramHoda was 52 when she welcomed Haley into her world in 2017. Haley was named after Halley's comet, which can be seen once every 70 years, and her middle name, Joy, was picked because of the emotion she brings to her family.
"She seemed so one in a million," she told Today co-host Jenna Bush Hager during a June 2022 episode.
© Hoda Kotb/InstagramHoda called into The Today Show on February 21 2017 to confirm she had become a mother seven days earlier, breaking down in tears as she told her co-anchors including Al Roker that "she is the love of my life!"
© InstagramJenna Bush Hager was also in the studio at the time, and was also seen in tears, overjoyed. In 2021, Hoda opened up about the moment she first saw Haley, admitting she couldn't "even remember who was carrying" the baby because "all I could see was her".
Speaking to People, Hoda said: "They put her in my arms … she fit like she was born there. I looked down and these eyes were looking at me and I thought to myself, 'Forever, for as long as I am breathing, you will be protected and loved and cared for'."
"She felt like mine right then," Hoda continued. "It didn’t take any time. It happened instantly for me."
In 2018, Hoda published a children's book, I’ve Loved You Since Forever, which was dedicated to Haley.
Hope Catherine, five
© NBC/InstagramTwo years after Hoda adopted Haley, a new baby joined their family, Hope, and when it came to naming Hope, Hoda called the decision a "no-brainer".
In reference to being with Joel at the time, and their wish of having children, she explained: "That's what we'd been doing, was hoping, and then she came. That was just simple."
Hoda called into The Today Show again to reveal the special news, sharing that Haley was loving being a big sister.
© Hoda Kotb/Instagram"This morning at breakfast, (Haley) was trying to feed (Hope) her raspberries, and I was like, 'Not yet, babe,'" Hoda told Today Show viewers. "She was literally marching around saying, 'I’m a big sister!'"
"In my heart I was like, 'Please, God, I hope this is something you anticipate for me,'" she added of how it felt to expand their family. "To get the call is so mind-blowing, you can't believe someone's saying, 'Come and get her, she's here.' It's amazing."
© InstagramIn March 2023, when Hope was three, Hoda took a break from The Today Show in order to care for her daughter who had been hospitalized with an illness.
"My youngest, Hope, was in the ICU for a few days and in the hospital for a little more than a week," Hoda said at the time. "I’m so grateful she’s home. She is back home. I was waiting for that day to come. And we are watching her closely. I’m just so happy."
“You know what I realized, too, Savannah? When your child is ill, the amount of gratitude you can have."
In August 2023 Hoda then shared that she had written another book, Hope is Like a Rainbow, in honor of her second daughter.
