Hoda Kotb Makes Shocking Confession About Skipping ‘Today’: ‘Sometimes You Just Have to Stop’

Last week on Today, Sheinelle Jones filled in for Hoda Kotb during the September 25 episode. Viewers questioned the reason behind Hoda’s absence, leading her to finally clear things up. Following her return to the program on September 26, the longtime broadcaster opened up about her decision to take a much-needed sick day.

“You know what I learned yesterday, which I have to remind myself even at this stage in life?” Hoda, 59, asked cohost Jenna Bush Hager. “Sometimes you just have to stop.”

She also admitted to feeling “cranky” and “run down” earlier that week, prompting her to take a day off to decompress.

“Sometimes you’re run down because you’re trying to do everything for everybody, and you realize, like, ‘I have to stop,’” Hoda continued. “Because you can’t continue that way.”

The I Really Needed This Today author reflected on spending quality time with her daughters, Haley and Hope, at home. After cooking the girls dinner and putting them to bed, Hoda prioritized getting a good night’s rest.

“I slept and I slept, and I slept and I slept, and I slept,” the mom of two told the Today audience. “You know how you don’t realize how much you haven’t been sleeping and all of a sudden I woke up and it was two in the morning and I was looking around and go, ‘My God, I have a sick day tomorrow.’”

Hoda continued, “So I kept sleeping,” adding, “I know a lot of people don’t have the luxury of saying, ‘I need to stop,’ but sometimes if you don’t slow down, you are going to stop yourself later on.”

The TV host previously disappeared midway through a Today broadcast on September 6. Craig Melvin slid into her seat at the news desk after her abrupt exit. Her mysterious departure from the episode was briefly explained as she ran toward the door.

“I’m taking my kids to school!” she said in a hurry, turning to members of the production team and asking, “OK, can I leave right now?”

After dropping her kids off at school that day, Hoda returned to the Today set and got back to work. Before the start of the new school year for Haley, 6, and Hope, 4, the journalist went on a family vacation to Mexico.

“It was magical,” she gushed over the trip during an episode of Today on September 3. “Everybody was happy, everybody was healthy, everybody was — it was one of those that you just said, ‘Thank you. We’re all here, we all feel good.’”