Hoda Kotb left the Today show early for the sweetest reason.
On Wednesday, September 6, Kotb, 59, excitedly asked producers and cohost Savannah Guthrie, “Can I leave right now?” before Guthrie, 51, explained to viewers that Kotb was “on the run” because “it’s the first day of school.”
Kotb confirmed, “I’m taking my kids to school.” (She shares daughters Haley, 6 and Hope, 4, with ex Joel Schiffman.)
Guthrie, 51, then told her to “give them a hug for us,” to which Kotb replied, “See ya later!”
After dropping her kids off, Kotb made it back to the set on time for her 10 a.m. EST segment, Today with Hoda & Jenna, which also stars Jenna Bush Hager.
Before the big drop off on Wednesday, Kotb shared via Instagram that the girls got new haircuts. In the photos, Haley could be seen with her hair straightened while the Today show’s hairstylist, Laura Bonanni Castorino, trimmed her ends. Hope, for her part, smiled while Castorino cut her locks. Both the girls hugged the hairstylist to celebrate their fresh hairdos.
“Thank you to my pal @lbcastorino ! The best Back to school cuts! First day of school tomorrow!” Kotb, who was smiling in the background of the photo, captioned the post.
Kotb and Schiffman, 65, met at an event in New York City in 2013, and quickly started dating after. In 2017, they adopted Haley and two years later, he proposed. Although they had plans to get married in 2020, they had to push back the ceremony amid COVID-19 restrictions. In 2022, they decided to call off the nuptials and go their separate ways.
After fans noticed she was no longer wearing her engagement ring on Today, she opened up about their split on a February 2022 episode. “It’s not like something happened … They say sometimes relationships are meant to be there for a reason or a season or for a lifetime. And I feel like ours was meant to be there for a season.”
She continued, “Joel and I have had a lot of prayerful and really meaningful conversations over the holidays, and we decided that we’re better as friends and parents than we are as an engaged couple.”
The parents have stayed on good terms and continue to coparent Haley and Hope. In June, Kotb even shared a meaningful tribute for Schiffman on Father’s Day. “Happy father’s day to a great dad!!” she captioned a post of Schiffman playing with the girls.
