In January 2022, fans of the Today show learned Hoda Kotb broke off her engagement from her then-fiancé Joel Schiffman. At the time, the couple had been together for eight years and had been engaged since 2019. While she’s been open about her journey to finding love again, she’s also looking back at what made her most recent relationship so pivotal for her.
When Hoda appeared on the August 12 episode of the Jamie Kern Lima Show, she gave new insight into the reasons why her romance with Joel ended. According to her, one element that played into the split was feeling like she and Joel were heading in different directions in life. As the children’s book author explained, while she felt she and Joel were individually great people, it ultimately wasn’t enough for the couple (who also share daughters Haley and Hope) to keep the relationship going.
«Joel is one of the best people I know,» she said in a clip posted on YouTube. «He really is a great human being, and I feel like I’m a great human being. But sometimes two great human beings together isn’t enough to make it work … I think when people are growing at different paces, it’s hard to be in sync. And I think a lot of people are probably in these situations. I get it.»
While the two continue to be in each other’s lives (Joel most recently celebrated Hoda’s 60th birthday with her and the rest of her family in early August), Hoda acknowledged that the romantic part of their relationship is over.
Despite being single for over two years, Hoda is open to finding love again. What’s more, she says she has a clear vision for the future and the next great love of her life.
«When I close my eyes and I envision the romantic part of my life, I can see it very clearly — I know it is coming for me,» she said. «For the first time in my life, since after Hope, I am me. Someone’s meeting me – not the version that you might want, or the version that I’ll twist a little bit to fit your needs or what is appealing to you. But this is who I am. I feel like, once you get there, you’re like, your heart rests.»
«So is love coming? Yes. It’s coming,» she concluded. «When is it coming? I don’t know.»
Well, with this outlook in mind, we have no doubt Hoda will find the love she is looking for and so deserves! ❤️
As the entertainment and news editorial assistant for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey’s Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
