Preview Changes (opens in a new tab)Hoda Kotb could be growing her family again! During an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Wednesday, January 29, the Today host admitted that she’s very close to adopting another baby with her fiancé Joel Schiffman.
As Star readers now, Hoda, 55, and Joel, 61, have two daughters, Hope, 9 months, and Haley, 3. Ellen asked the anchor if she and Joel are gearing up to adopt for a third time.
“I don’t know. I’m not 100 [percent] sure,” she admitted. “I’m a sign person — I always look for signs — and I feel like there are some signs out there that are pointing to [having more kids].”
Hoda continued, “I was scribbling in my journal and I was asking myself that question and I wrote in there, ‘I’m wondering if we should.’ And I wrote, ‘Do we have enough love?’ And I wrote, ‘Yes.’ And I said, ‘Do we have enough time?’ And I wrote, ‘Yes.’ And I said, ‘Would our family be more enhanced?’ And I wrote, ‘Yes.’”
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She said, “So I was thinking maybe the answer’s yes.”
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Hoda said the fact that she and Joel are older parents definitely influenced her thinking. She said, “When you’re parents later in life … watching Haley and Hope together, all I really want is for them to have someone to hold their hand forever, and that’s it. That’s all I want. I was scared, because we’re older, like maybe [it’s too late]. But then I realized they’ll have each other.”
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Hoda and Joel got engaged in November 2019. They waited to tell Haley about their wedding plans, though. Hoda explained at the time, “How are we going to explain, your parents are going to get married? We're still trying to figure out that part of how exactly to explain that to them.”
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Hoda was previously married to Burzis Kanga from 2005 to 2007, but they had no children. Joel, who works in finance, was also previously married and has an adult daughter, Kyle.
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Hoda also told Ellen that having two kids made her decide to get into shape to make sure she can always keep up with her daughters.
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“I actually, for the first time got a trainer, and he said, ‘What do you want to do?’ I said, ‘I want to get on the floor and get up a hundred times.’ I said, ‘I want to be able to lift up 35 lbs. and throw 35 lbs. in the air,’” she said.
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Photo credit: Andy Kropa/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
“And I think it’s funny — when you want to do something, your energy kicks in,” she said.
She said, “So I was thinking maybe the answer’s yes.”
Hoda said the fact that she and Joel are older parents definitely influenced her thinking. She said, “When you’re parents later in life … watching Haley and Hope together, all I really want is for them to have someone to hold their hand forever, and that’s it. That’s all I want. I was scared, because we’re older, like maybe [it’s too late]. But then I realized they’ll have each other.”
Hoda and Joel got engaged in November 2019. They waited to tell Haley about their wedding plans, though. Hoda explained at the time, “How are we going to explain, your parents are going to get married? We're still trying to figure out that part of how exactly to explain that to them.”
Photo credit: INSTARImages
Hoda was previously married to Burzis Kanga from 2005 to 2007, but they had no children. Joel, who works in finance, was also previously married and has an adult daughter, Kyle.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
Hoda also told Ellen that having two kids made her decide to get into shape to make sure she can always keep up with her daughters.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
“I actually, for the first time got a trainer, and he said, ‘What do you want to do?’ I said, ‘I want to get on the floor and get up a hundred times.’ I said, ‘I want to be able to lift up 35 lbs. and throw 35 lbs. in the air,’” she said.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
“And I think it’s funny — when you want to do something, your energy kicks in,” she said.
Photo credit: Andy Kropa/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
