Hoda Kotb once again reunited with ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman for a family day with their daughters.
In an Instagram post shared on Sunday, March 2, Hoda, 60, was all smiles as she posed in front of her dining room table. At the table sat her family, as well as Joel, 66, and kids Haley, 8, and Hope, 5. They dined on spaghetti and meatballs and salad while enjoying their time in Hoda’s new suburban home.
“Gangs all here ! Xo,” the mom of two captioned the snapshot.
The room was decked out in pink and purple party decorations, including balloons and a banner. In the comments section, fans took notice that Joel was in attendance.
“Girl, Joel is looking hot at the end of the table,” one person wrote in a comment, while another person said, “Glad Joel is there!”
“Beautiful gang! You’re blessed by loving friends! Glad you’re keeping Joel in your fold!” another comment said.
Hoda and Joel were previously pictured together with their kids while celebrating Christmas last year. While they remain friendly as they coparent their kids, a source told Closer that the former couple were not looking to reconcile.
“Hoda knows they’re no longer a couple, but she feels so happy and thrilled that they can be the best of friends and get together like this as a family and create more wonderful memories with each other and the kids,” the insider said in January.
“They’ve worked through their differences to coparent and exist peacefully. She and Joel have come to a mutual understanding and they’re in a good place,” the insider continued. “She knows he will always be there for her and vice versa. He still gives the best presents ever on any occasion!”
Hoda and Joel began quietly dating in 2013, but it wasn’t until two years later that they publicly confirmed their romance. They adopted Haley and Hope during their relationship. In 2019, the Today alum and the financier got engaged.
“My heart has literally been pounding,” Hoda said of the moment Joel popped the question. “I was totally shocked. He had a good poker face.”
However, they never made it down the aisle as Hoda publicly announced her breakup from Joel in January 2022. Years later, she opened up about why they broke up.
“Joel is one of the best people I know,” she reflected during an episode of the Jamie Kern Lima Show in August 2024 of their split. “He really is a great human being, and I feel like I’m a great human being. But sometimes two great human beings together isn’t enough to make it work … I think when people are growing at different paces, it’s hard to be in sync. And I think a lot of people are probably in these situations. I get it.”
But still, Hoda, who left Today earlier this year, remains optimistic that Mr. Right will come into her life at some point in the future.
“When I close my eyes and I envision the romantic part of my life, I can see it very clearly — I know it is coming for me,” Hoda said. “For the first time in my life, since after Hope, I am me. Someone’s meeting me – not the version that you might want, or the version that I’ll twist a little bit to fit your needs or what is appealing to you. But this is who I am. I feel like, once you get there, you’re like, your heart rests.”
