Valentine’s Day 2022 was still a special one for Hoda Kotb and her two daughters, Hope, 2, and Haley, 4. Just weeks after Kotb announced her split from fiancé Joel Schiffman, the Today co-anchor and her daughters were treated to a special Valentine’s Day surprise from Kotb’s sister, Hala Kotb. In a video shared to Instagram on Tuesday, Kotb shared the adorable moment she and her girls walked into their home to find balloons decorating the room, with Kotb sharing, “When you just get home from a long eye doctors appointment for the girls– and look what is waiting at home! A valentines day Surprise courtesy of my sister Hala!”
Kotb first opened up about the sweet surprise during Tuesday’s episode of TODAY with Hoda & Jenna. According to PEOPLE, Kotb told her co-host Jenna Bush Hager that she celebrated the day “with the girls and my sister,” explaining that they got home later than usual and walked inside to find that Kotb’s sister “had sent this amazing bunch of balloons. Because what do kids want for Valentine’s Day? It was so awesome.” Kotb added that “there was a blow-up teddy bear that was so big we sat them at the table with us. And I just thought to myself, ‘They were delighted.’ It was just cool.”
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“It was such a beautiful, beautiful moment,” Kotb continued. “And again, this is around the time when we adopted Haley so it’s a bit – there’s so many celebrations. It’s called a Gotcha Day, where you recognize that this little girl came in your arms. We watched a video of the day I got to pick Haley up. So it’s beautiful. Love is in the air!”
This Valentine’s Day marked Kotb’s first in many years without Schiffman. On Jan. 31, Kotb told Today viewers that she and Schiffman had decided to split after eight years together. Kotb explained that they decided they were better off as friends following “a lot of prayerful and meaningful conversations” in December. Kotb shared that they “decided that we are going to start this new year and begin it on our new path, as loving parents to our adorable, delightful children and as friends,” adding that it’s not like something happened. They say that sometimes relationships are meant to be there for a reason or a season or for a lifetime, and I feel like ours was meant to be there for a season.”
Prior to their split, Kotb and Schiffman had been together for eight years. They became engaged in 2019 and while they initially planned to marry in November 2020, they delayed their nuptials due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kotb said when announcing their split that Schiffman is “a great guy. He’s a very kind and loving person, and I feel privileged to have spent eight years with him.”
