Former Today co-anchor Hoda Kotb revealed she recently reconnected with a mystery man after meeting him on a flight and seeing him in Cannes.
The 62-year-old television personality shared the dating update during the Aug. 21 episode of Today With Jenna & Sheinelle while visiting co-hosts Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones.
Kotb explained that she and the unnamed man shared an intense emotional connection after meeting by chance aboard an airplane. "It was the weirdest connection in the world," Kotb told Bush Hager and Jones during the broadcast. "We were both crying. It was a strange - you know when you have one of those [connections] that everything is firing on all cylinders?"
Although Kotb emphasized that the encounter was not a "real love connection" at the time, she noted that both of them leaned into the vulnerable interaction. "He kept saying, 'Is this a dream? Is this real?'" Kotb recalled. The pair parted ways following the flight, but their story did not end there.
Chance Encounter in Cannes
Kotb, who serves as the founder of the lifestyle company Joy 101, later traveled to Cannes, France, to speak on behalf of her business. While addressing the event, she was surprised to spot the same man sitting in the audience.
"And he goes, 'Hi,' and I said, 'Hi.' but then it all kind of just went away," Kotb explained regarding their brief second encounter.
Despite the second meeting fading, Kotb recently found herself back in touch with the man, confirming that he is single and that they have texted recently. "He's really cute," she added during the episode. "Very handsome."
Dating Approach and Relationships
The revelation provides a rare update on Kotb's romantic life following her 2022 breakup from her former fiancé, Joel Schiffman. Kotb and Schiffman, 68, were engaged for two years prior to their split. Although she initially stepped back from dating after the breakup, Kotb teased last year that she remained open to finding love again.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight in September, Kotb outlined her specific approach to meeting a potential partner: "I want someone who I love to introduce me to someone who they love."
Kotb explained that her priority remains cultivating meaningful connections across every area of her life, rather than focusing solely on romantic partnerships. "That's all life is, is relationships," Kotb said. "That's what makes life rich. It's not about walking into a building and walking out of a building - the building's not hugging you."
Life With Her Daughters
In addition to navigating her dating life, the longtime NBC anchor has centered her focus on raising her two daughters, Haley, 9, and Hope, 7, whom she shares with Schiffman. Kotb stepped back from her long-running co-anchor role on Today to prioritize time with her family, celebrating her first free morning after leaving the morning show on Jan. 13, 2025. She marked the school drop-off with an Instagram caption: "School drop!!! Let's goooo!"
Kotb has continued to document major parenting moments with her followers, including walking Haley Joy and Hope Catherine to campus for the start of the 2025-2026 school year. After announcing her departure from Today, she also celebrated her first suburban New York Halloween with her daughters in 2024, where the girls wore matching cheerleader costumes.
Kotb adopted both of her daughters, surprising her Today show family on-air when she revealed she had secretly adopted Hope Catherine, her second child. In April 2019, at age 55, Kotb shared a full family photo on Instagram for the first time, writing, "This is us xo." In May 2019, Kotb shared a photo of Haley feeding newborn Hope, the same month her close friend and longtime former Today co-host Kathie Lee Gifford met baby Hope.
Family Celebrations and Milestones
Family milestones have long featured prominently in Kotb's public updates. Kotb, an Oklahoma native, celebrated Schiffman's 60th birthday in March 2018 with their baby girl and a homemade cake. Over the years, she has also shared multi-generational family gatherings involving her mother, Sami, her siblings, Hala and Adel, and her nieces, Hannah and Ella, describing one joint birthday celebration as "my kinda birthday."
Kotb's social media updates have captured seasonal traditions and milestones with her children. On Valentine's Day, she celebrated Haley's second birthday, sharing on Instagram that she felt "so much love today." Other shared moments include matching bee costumes with Haley for Halloween, spending autumn days picking apples in August 2018, and enjoying beach outings in August 2019.
Kotb has also highlighted emotional Mother's Day moments, including early morning bed photo shoots with her daughters and receiving an early Mother's Day surprise gift from Haley and Hope. On a previous Mother's Day, the Today co-anchor posed with one-year-old Haley wearing a shirt printed with the word "mama."
Broadcasting Career Highlights
Throughout her career at NBC, Kotb balanced high-profile broadcasting assignments with family life. In February 2018, she spent two weeks covering the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, sharing a photo with her USA beanie prior to departure and announcing "Home!!!!!" upon her return.
Her family updates also featured major sports and cultural events, such as cheering on the New Orleans Saints against the Minnesota Vikings on Jan. 14, 2018, alongside her daughter. On Nov. 23, 2017, Kotb posed with Schiffman and their baby girl for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, writing on Christmas that year: "Santa we are ready!!!"
