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Hoda Kotb and Joel Schiffman recently announced their separation on January 31. The former couple parent two daughters and have been in a relationship since 2013.
Kotb and Schiffman had been dating for a few years and made their relationship public in 2015. They got engaged in November 2019 when Joel proposed to Hoda during an intimate dinner by the beach.
Although they planned to get married in November 2020, Kotb wanted to ensure that everyone could come to their wedding since the Covid-19 pandemic made it difficult for everyone to celebrate their special occasions.
Reasons behind Hoda Kotb and Joel Schiffman’s split
The popular television personality announced the news on Monday while appearing on Today with Hoda & Jenna, where the audience asked why she was not wearing the engagement ring. Hoda said:
“Joel and I have had a lot of prayerful and meaningful conversations over the holidays and we decided that we’re better as friends and parents than we are as an engaged couple, so we decided we are going to start this new year … on our new path as loving parents to our adorable, delightful children, and as friends.”
While speaking to co-host Jenna Bush Hager, the broadcast journalist said that sometimes relationships are meant to be there for a reason or a season or a lifetime. She felt like their relationship was not meant to exist for a season.
Kotb admitted that she felt weird and awkward since she was struggling with what to say and how to say it. She also focused on the best moments of her relationship with Joel and said:
“A lot of women know what this feels like … to be changing course in life, and I feel really brave in this moment, which is a strange feeling to feel. But sometimes in your life, you just have to say the truth.”
The author also said that Schiffman is a kind and loving person and feels privileged to have spent eight years with him. She said that they would be good parents to their kids.
Hoda Kotb on her parenthood with Joel Schiffman
While appearing on People’s podcast Me Becoming Mom in October 2021, Hoda Kotb spoke about her journey to adopting their daughters and how Joel supported her in the process.
The 57-year-old revealed that she was scared while approaching her then-fiancé to talk about adoption. She said:
“I looked him in the eye and I said, ‘I would like to explore adoption with you.’ And there was like a second in there, I was like, ‘This is the end of a relationship or the beginning of a family.’ This is happening in a snap, in an instant.”
When she realized that Joel was supportive of the idea, she knew that she chose a man who chose her happiness over his convenience at that moment.
