Picture this: Thanksgiving without your closest partner in life. That’s exactly what happened for Hoda Kotb, the beloved Today show host, when she celebrated the holiday without Joel Schiffman, her former fiancé. Now, as Christmas rolls around, fans are wondering: will Hoda and Joel reunite for the holidays? Or is this chapter of their lives officially closed?
Let’s rewind to Christmas Day. Hoda, 59, shared a heartwarming moment on Instagram—a selfie with her daughters, Haley Joy, 6, and Hope Catherine, 4. The trio sat on a beach, dressed in matching Christmas pajamas, laughter echoing through the air. But where was Joel, 65? He was noticeably absent from the photo, leaving fans to speculate about the state of their relationship. This wasn’t the first time Joel had been missing from Hoda’s holiday snaps.
Remember that cozy moment when Hoda decorated her Christmas tree with her girls on December 4? Joel wasn’t there either, but his presence lingered in the background. A family photo featuring Hoda, Joel, and the kids hung proudly beside the tree, and a stocking labeled “Dad” was hung in his honor. It’s a testament to the bond they still share, even after their split in January 2022.
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A Breakup That Wasn’t Really a Breakup?
Joel and Hoda parted ways in January 2022, but they promised to stay friends. Hoda spent Thanksgiving with her family in New York City, including her siblings, mom, and daughters. Despite the split, the two have continued to co-parent Haley and Hope, even taking them trick-or-treating around NYC on October 31.
Joel and Hoda’s engagement, which began in November 2019 after six years of dating, was met with excitement from fans. But when Hoda stopped wearing her engagement ring on air in January 2022, alarm bells rang. Later that month, she broke the news to Today show viewers, explaining that the pair had decided to part ways.
“Joel and I have had a lot of prayerful and meaningful conversations over the holidays, and we decided that we are better as friends and parents than we are as an engaged couple,” Hoda shared with viewers on January 31, 2022. “It’s not like something happened. They say sometimes relationships are meant to be there for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. This was for a season.”
Could Love Find Its Way Back?
On November 16, an insider exclusively told Closer that Hoda might be hoping for a reconciliation with Joel. The source revealed, “She realized there really isn’t anyone better for her than Joel. Hoda’s hopeful that things are moving in the right direction. Her friends think there’s chemistry between them, and Hoda has privately confided that he’ll always be The One.”
While Hoda happily accepted cohost Jenna Bush Hager’s offer to set her up on a date in October 2022, nothing came of it. In the end, Hoda realized that no one compares to Joel. Could this be the start of a new chapter for the former couple? Only time will tell.
