Hoda Kotb Kids: Daughters Haley, Hope With Ex Joel Schiffman

Before Hoda Kotb and her former fiancé, Joel Schiffman, announced their shocking breakup, the pair built a blended family together. The financier was already a dad to adult daughter Kyle Schiffman prior to meeting the Today cohost. The couple adopted daughters Haley Joy and Hope Catherine during their relationship.

Hoda and Joel began dating in 2013 after meeting at an event in New York City. They decided early on that they wanted to start a family together. During a March 2019 appearance on The Wendy Williams Show, Hoda recalled the heartwarming moment Joel told her he wanted to be a father again.

“This is what I did. I was scared because we were about to move in and I said that I cannot move in with him unless he knows that I have this voice inside — I have this feeling inside that I can’t push down anymore,” she explained. “I wanted to be a mom and I kept thinking today is the day and I went to Joel, and I said to him, ‘I need to discuss something with you and it’s very important.’”

She continued, “I said, ‘I want you not to answer me now. I want you to marinate. I want you to take a week, take a month, take as long as you need. And he looked at me like he was terrified. And I said, ‘There’s a feeling inside that I can’t quiet anymore, and I have to say it out loud and I’m going to say it.’”

Before she could change her mind, Hoda quickly asked Joel her burning question. “I said, ‘I want to explore adoption with you,’” she remembered. Hesitant about how her lover would feel about this, she patiently waited for his response.

“He said, ‘I don’t need a minute,’” Hoda gushed. “I cried on his chest and my mascara went down because in that minute he knew that there was nothing that could make me happier.”

The pair adopted Haley in 2017 and Hope in 2019. They got engaged in November 2019 but postponed their wedding several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The television personality announced their split during an episode of Today in January 2022.

“He’s a great guy. He’s a very kind and loving person, and I feel privileged to have spent eight years with him,” she said about the breakup during the episode. “We are both good and we are both kind of going on our way and our path. We’ll be good parents to those two lovely kids.”

There are so many things Hoda loves about being a mom, including traveling with her girls and watching them immerse themselves in new experiences. The broadcaster enjoys bringing Haley and Hope on trips to New Orleans. She formerly worked at WWL-TV in the city nearly three decades ago.

“I want them to know New Orleans — to love the city and for this to be part of their lives because it’s such an important part of mine,” she told Southern Living in March 2023. “I want them to see what it’s like to be front and center at the parade.”

The doting mom recalled bringing her kiddos to the Big Easy on St. Patrick’s Day in 2022. As they watched the parade, Haley and Hope caught beads that were being thrown from floats down St. Charles Avenue. Hoda shared a hilarious moment when her kids caught something they weren’t expecting.

“My children caught underwear. Underwear!” she said. “Everything is light in New Orleans. ‘Normal’ is being free, and dressing the way you want, dancing in the street even if you’re the only one. New Orleans celebrates the individual. It’s full of characters, and I want my kids to meet them.”

Keep scrolling to learn all about Hoda and former fiancé Joel’s children.

Haley Joy

Haley is definitely her mother’s mini-me! After Hoda welcomed her little one via adoption in 2017, she revealed what it felt like to be a new mom to Closer.

“Motherhood is — it’s the best job I have ever had in my life, ever,” she said at the time. The mom of two is also happy that she gave adoption a try because being a mother has been so fulfilling to her! Once she decided to have a second child, she prepared Haley for her new role as a big sister. After Hope came, Haley “adjusted incredibly well.”

“There have been a lot of heart-to-hearts between Hoda and Haley, making sure she knows how special she is to them, and that Hope is an addition, not a replacement, which is something [Haley] could think if not handled the right way,” an insider told Closer in April 2019. “Hoda makes sure Haley knows she’s going to get all the love and attention that she ever did, with the bonus of having a sister around as well.”

Just like her mom, Haley also has a kind heart. Hoda shared a sweet story about her daughter during a July 2022 episode of Today. After saving up her allowance, the youngster bought an ice cream cone for a man named Mo who works at a local restaurant.

“She took her money out of her Ziploc, and she got the biggest hug,” Hoda recalled. “Afterwards, we sat down — Hope, Haley, me and Mo and he said, ‘Do you know why this cone is extra special today? And Haley said, ‘Why?’ And he said, ‘Because it’s my birthday.'”

Hope Catherine

Hoda thought her life was complete until her she welcomed her baby girl, Hope.

“I feel like I’ve lived 54 years, and I’ve loved every minute of it, but if there’s a window or a moment in my life that has mattered more than anything, it’s right now,” she said while on maternity leave after her daughter’s birth. “I know it’s sort of weird that I’m taking this much time, but I just feel like, you know, sometimes you don’t know how much of your kids’ lives you’re going to be able to see. You just don’t know.”

“So, every day, we do the same thing, and it’s so dumb. Like, we have morning bubbles outside, we go to the muffin store and get a muffin, we burp Hope — it’s the same day,” she added. “But it’s awesome, it’s the most awesome day ever.”

Though the pair split while Hope was still a toddler, they do everything to make sure the kids spend an equal amount of time with both of them.

“He sees the kids,” the New York Times bestselling author told Us Weekly in April 2022. “He takes them to school some, and he sees them on weekends. We’ve got a really nice, easy situation.”

In February 2023, Hoda took a break from Today when Hope landed in the ICU after facing health issues. She expressed gratitude to her cohosts and fans for their messages of support amid her daughter’s recovery.

“She was in the ICU for a little more than a week and she is back home,” the news anchor told viewers upon her return to the show in March 2023. “I was waiting for that day to come, and we are watching her closely, and so happy.”

Kyle Schiffman

Kyle was incredibly supportive of Hoda and Joel’s relationship from the start. In a December 2019 interview with Closer Weekly, she was elated to see her dad pop the question to Hoda because she made him so happy.

“It’s great to finally see just the two of them are so happy and they love doing the same thing,” she gushed at the time. “They just enjoy each other’s time and they’re perfect for each other and I love them both so much!”

While Kyle had a great relationship with Hoda over the years, she has remained out of the spotlight for the most part.