“Hoda Kotb Reveals the Real Reason Behind Her Breakup with Fiancé Joel Schiffman”
Hoda Kotb is getting candid about her breakup.
The Today show anchor provided deeper insight into why she and ex Joel Schiffman called off their engagement in 2022 after eight years of dating.
“Joel is one of the best people I know, and he really is a great human being,” Hoda explained in E! News’ exclusive sneak peek at the Aug. 13 episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show. “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.”
Noting that the couple—who were engaged for almost two years before parting ways—had been “growing at different paces,” the 60-year-old admitted that it had become “hard to be in sync.”
“I think a lot of people are probably in these situations,” Hoda continued. “One person’s growing… or one person wants it this way, and one person wants it that way.”
And while Hoda and Joel may no longer be romantically linked, the pair will always be connected by their daughters Haley, 7, who they adopted in 2017, and Hope, 4, who they adopted two years later. In fact, Hoda credits Joel with helping her embark on the journey to motherhood.
“I have two incredible children I share with him,” Hoda told People in an interview published July 29. “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.”
And as co-parents, the journalist previously shared that she and her ex are totally on the same page.
“He’ll have a Saturday, and I’ll do the Sunday. We switch each week,” Hoda explained to People in August 2022. “He’ll take the girls and do some fun things, and I’ll take some quiet time.”
She added, “It’s a healthy mix, and the kids love it.”
Keep reading for a full breakdown of Hoda and Joel’s love story.
Pairing Up
The private pair kept their romance out of the spotlight after being introduced by Kotb’s producer. In fact, the journalist had not used her beau’s real name publicly until two years into their romance.
Moving In
In 2016, Kotb revealed they were taking a big step in their relationship by getting an apartment together.
Starting a Family
Then, in February 2017, the couple became parents together after Kotb adopted her first child, daughter Haley Joy.
Two years later, the couple’s family grew by one when the broadcaster adopted their second daughter, Hope Catherine.
All Smiles
While they typically keep their relationship mostly out of the spotlight, fans can always count on Kotb to occasionally share sweet snaps of them together on social media.
In November 2019, Joel popped the question while on vacation with his future wife.
Calling It Quits
A little over two years after announcing their engagement, Hoda confirmed that she and Joel had gone their separate ways. As she explained during a January 2022 episode of the Today show, “We decided that we’re better as friends and parents than we are as an engaged couple.”
