Hoda Kotb Shares Emotional Update About Her Love Life
Hoda Kotb Shares Emotional Update About Her Love Life
Chanel VargasFri, August 21, 2026 at 8:54 PM UTC
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Hoda Kotb enters the set of the “Today” show at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City on January 10, 2025.Credit: Getty ImagesThe Gist -
Hoda Kotb shared an update about her love life during the August 21 episode of Today.
Speaking with Sheinelle Jones and Jenna Bush Hager, Kotb revealed that a chance connection with a “really cute” man on an airplane might be evolving into a romantic relationship.
Kotb recently turned heads in a bandeau bikini while celebrating her 62nd birthday on vacation with her ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman and their two kids.
Hoda Kotb has a secret admirer.
On August 21, Kotb sat down with Today co-hosts, Sheinelle Jones and Jenna Bush Hager, for a conversation about her next chapter in life. Recently, Kotb has been focused on spending time with her daughters, strength training, and building her digital wellness brand Joy 101. In addition to pursuing her well-rounded list of goals, the former Today anchor revealed that she’s been taking a dip in the dating pool—with an unexpected and exciting outcome.
“Here’s the thing—this is not a real love connection—but I did meet someone on a plane when I was flying somewhere,” Kotb said when Hager asked about her love life. “It was the weirdest connection in the world. We were both crying. You know when you have one of those moments when everything is firing on all cylinders? And he kept saying, ‘Is this a dream? Is this a dream? Is this real?’”
Kotb recalled the same interaction in a conversation about her dating non-negotiables with Michelle Buteau in July. “Fast forward: Our company went to Cannes so we could talk about our company,” Kotb told Hager and Jones. “And he was in the audience, randomly, and he goes, ‘Hi,’ and I said, ‘Hi.’ But then it all just kind of went away.”
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Hoda Kotb on the set of “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen” on June 5, 2025.Credit: Getty Images
Delighted and intrigued, Hager and Jones pressed Kotb for more details. “It’s actually not the end [of the story],” the Joy 101 founder added. “We have texted recently.” When Hager asked if she thought the unnamed stranger was good-looking, Kotb was quick to say, “Yes, he’s really cute,” adding that the mystery man is also single.
Beyond her love life, Kotb said she’s shifting her focus to her education and personal growth this year. “So, how are you wrapping your mind around this upcoming year in your life?” Jones asked. “Do you have, like, an intention?”
Hoda Kotb attends the 2025 Forbes Power Women’s Summit in New York City on September 10, 2025.Credit: Getty Images
Kotb wasted no time sharing more about her self-improvement journey. “I feel like I’m going forward and I’m a student,” she said. “I feel like all I’m doing is learning all over again. I’ve been talking to different coaches and teachers. I’m just trying to get better—not just at living, but at my company, and how I’m navigating my life. So, I think for me, it’s like beginning again. I just like the idea of learning.”
Hoda Kotb and her daughters Hope Catherine Kotb and Haley Joy Kotb sit on the set of the “Today” show in New York City on January 10, 2025.Credit: Getty Images
During the conversation, Kotb also shared some highlights from her family vacation in the Bahamas in honor of her 62nd birthday on August 9. Kotb’s ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman, 68, their two daughters, Haley Joy Kotb, 9, and Hope Catherine Kotb, 7, and her mother Sameha Kotb, 91, were on the tropical getaway. “I can’t believe how much time I got to spend with them,” she told Hager and Jones. “I can’t believe the time and—look, I was blessed. I mean, that was a birthday to remember.”
on InStyle
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
