Hoda Kotb Shares Rare Message About Ex-Fiancé Joel Schiffman for Father’s Day
Hoda Kotb and ex Joel Schiffman are co-parenting goals.
The former Today co-anchor, who ended her tenure on the morning show in January, shared a sweet family photo on Christmas morning that included her and her ex-fiancé’s daughters Hope, 6, and Haley, 8. Also joined by Hoda’s mom and sister, the family was all smiles in matching green pajamas with the adults wearing mini Santa headbands.
The exes, who called off their engagement in 2022 after eight years together, have been known to reunite often, spending holidays and other special occasions together. In November, Hoda shared a peek on Instagram into one of their family dinners together on a casual “Funday Sunday!” where they shared a kid-friendly meal of pizza, pasta, fruit and more.
Despite deciding to end their romantic relationship, Hoda has often spoken about how she still has love for Joel even if she didn’t marry him.
“I went to this retreat and had kind of an epiphany about my life,” Hoda told Savannah Guthrie while guest hosting Today in September, “and I was realizing that you can love someone—like I loved him very much, and still do to this day—but that person isn’t right for you in that moment,”
However, she has no regrets, as Joel was with her when she welcomed her daughters, who she adopted with him.
“I have two incredible children I share with him,” Hoda told People in 2022. “And it’s because of Joel that I have Haley and Hope, without question. I think I might have been too afraid to do it alone.”
Hoda Kotb/Instagram
And her life today wouldn’t be the same without him having been in her life, as her biggest priority these days is her family.
“Obviously I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie that I have,” she shared on Today last year. “I feel like we only have a finite amount of time. My broadcast career has been beyond meaningful, a new decade of my life lies ahead, and now my daughters and my mom need and deserve a bigger slice of my time.”
For more celebrity Christmas celebrations this year, read on.
Instagram/Lily Collins
Lily Collins
The Emily in Paris star celebrated her first Christmas with 10-month-old daughter Tove, whom she shares with husband Charlie McDowell.
Instagram/Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber & Hailey Bieber
The Rhode Beauty founder and Grammy winner shared a sweet moment from their holiday festivities, captioning the selfie, “MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE BIEBERS.”
Simone Biles/Instagram
Simone Biles
The Olympian got cozy on Christmas Eve with her husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens.
Rob Mariano/Instagram
Rob “Boston Rob” Mariano
Survivor fan-favorite Boston Rob and fellow alum of the show, wife Amber Mariano, celebrated both Christmas and Rob’s 50th birthday with mimosas and a festive morning with their daughters Lucia, 15, Carina, 14, Isabetta, 13, and Adelina, 10. He wrote in the caption of his Dec. 25 post, “Half-way to 100! #50th”
Instagram/Mike The Situation
Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino
The Jersey Shore alum celebrated a huge milestone this holiday season: a decade of sobriety. To mark the occasion, he posed alongside kids Romeo, 4, and Mia, 2, as well as his wife Lauren Sorrentino.
Instagram/Alexa Lemieux
Alexa Lemieux & Brennon Lemieux
The Love is Blind stars reunited to celebrate Christmas with their 17-month-old daughter Vienna amid the pair’s ongoing divorce.
Mariah Carey/Instagram
Mariah Carey
The queen of Christmas herself posed with Santa Claus and her 14-year-old twins Monroe and Moroccan, whom she shares with ex Nick Cannon.
Heidi Klum/Instagram
Heidi Klum
The model celebrated Christmas with husband Tom Kaulitz and their blended family including her children Leni, 21, Henry, 20, Johan, 19, and Lou, 16. “Merry Christmas,” she wrote in her Dec. 24 Instagram post. “Sending love.”
Sofia Vergara/Instagram
Sofia Vergara
The Modern Family star celebrated Christmas with her dog, posing by her tree in a red velvet pajama set.
Hoda Kotb/Instagram
Hoda Kotb
The former Today co-anchor reunited with ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman to celebrate the holiday with their daughters Hope, 6, and Haley, 8, as well as her mom and sister.
Ryan Seacrest/Instagram
Ryan Seacrest
It was a bittersweet Christmas for the American Idol host and his family, as his father Gary Seacrest died in October. “First Christmas without Dad, but holding him close in all the ways we can,” Ryan wrote in his Dec. 25 Instagram post. “We miss you. Merry Heavenly Christmas.”
Whitney Leavitt/Instagram
Whitney Leavitt
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star and her husband Conner Leavitt and kids Sedona, 6, Liam, 4, and Billy, 14 months, spent their first Christmas time in the city following their big movie for Whitney to appear in Chicago on Broadway following her run on Dancing With the Stars.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson/Instagram
Jesse Tyler Ferguson
The Modern Family star and his husband Justin Mikita shared a festive Christmas Eve selfie. Jesse captioned the Dec. 24 post, “Are the children still “hitting it with a .5?”
Jennifer Lopez/Instagram
Jennifer Lopez
The singer got “On The Floor” to pose by her massive Christmas tree in festive pink and white striped pajamas at a Christmas eve celebration with family.
Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco
The couple went in cognito with face masks while checking out a Christmas lights display. Selena captioned the Dec. 23 pics, “Visiting a wonderland.”
Olivia Culpo & Christian McCaffrey
The model and NFL star took their daughter Colette, 5 months, to Disneyland before Christmas. “Happy Coziest time of the year!” Olivia wrote on Instagram, adding in another post that their baby girl is “the best little Christmas present.”
Justin Bieber/Instagram
Justin Bieber, Hailey Bieber & Jack Blues Bieber
Justin Bieber shared a sweet photo Dec. 24 of his and Hailey Bieber‘s son Jack Blues Bieber, 16 months, dressed in a red sweater and a Santa hat for Christmas Eve.
Chrissy Teigen
The cookbook author’s Christmas plans went awry when she broke her veneer while using her teeth to open a pack of candy canes.
“This is what moms do for their kids so that you can think you grew a candy cane,” she shared on Instagram. “I tried to create magic. Now I have no tooth and tomorrow’s the winter sing.”
TheImageDirect.com
Nicole Kidman
The Oscar winner put her natural curls on display while heading to a Christmas Eve party in Sydney, Australia, Dec. 24 alongside her and ex Keith Urban‘s daughters Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14.
Jessica Seinfeld/Instagram
Jessica Seinfeld
The cookbook author showed off her family’s unique menorah for the fourth night of Hanukkah, sending a shoutout to those who have “chosen to light a menorah along with us this year.”
Scott Disick/Instagram
Scott Disick
The Kardashians star shared his very tall menorah to Instagram Stories as he celebrated the fourth night of the Hanukkah.
Mayim Bialik/Instagram
Mayim Bialik
The Big Bang Theory alum shared that she and her family chose to go big on the first night of Hanukkah with a slew of menorahs, writing in the caption, “We lit them all.”
Selena Gomez
The Disney Channel alum shared a video of herself decorating the tree with husband Benny Blanco, writing, “our first Christmas as a married couple.”
Alan Bersten/Instagram
Alan Bersten & Emma Slater
The Dancing With the Stars pros shared a glimpse into their home on the first night of Hanukkah, while also sharing a tribute to those who died during a shooting at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney on Dec. 14, writing, “My heart is heavy today due to the senseless tragedy that occurred today in Sydney.”
Nev Schulman/Instagram
Nev Schulman
The Catfish host and his family, including wife Laura Perlongo and kids Cleo, Beau and Cy, posed with their menorah on the second night of Hanukkah on Dec. 15, adding in the caption, “In the glow of the menorah, we’re reminded that love grows when we stand together. For our family—and for all families.”
Doug Emhoff/Instagram
Doug Emhoff & Kamala Harris
The former Second Gentleman and former Vice President celebrated the first night of Hanukkah, reflecting on how the candles are “a reminder of resilience, hope, and the power of bringing light into the darkness.”
Erin Foster/Instagram
Erin Foster & Simon Tikhman
The Nobody Wants This creator gave fans a peek into her family’s Hanukkah celebration alongside her husband.
Debra Messing/Instagram
Debra Messing
The Will & Grace alum penned a heartfelt message on the first night of Hanukkah, sharing a photo of her menorah and writing, “May the memory of all those murdered in Bondi Beach Australia at a Hanukkah family celebration, and at Brown University—be a blessing.”
“The light will always cut through the darkness,” she added. “Be the light.”
Vanessa Carlton/Instagram
Vanessa Carlton
The “A Thousand Miles” singer kept it simple for the first night of Hanukkah Dec. 14, posting a photo of her lit menorah with the light reflecting in a mirror.
Jessica Simpson
The singer’s children Maxwell “Maxi” Drew, Ace Knute and Birdie Mae kicked off the holidays with a rare family photo Dec. 4.
“Christmas time is here!” Jessica wrote on Instagram. “What the month of December brings to my kiddos has always been about the genuine feelings of love, excitement, hope, happiness, grace and pure JOY! Wishin’ you and yours all the many blessings this month has to offer y’all’s hearts.”
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