Watch: Hoda Kotb Reveals Why She and Fiance Joel Schiffman Broke Off Their Engagement
Hoda Kotb is starting her day off with family.
The Today alum reunited with her ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman to send their daughters Haley, 9, and Hope, 7, off to their first day of school Sept. 8.
“It’s here,” Kotb captioned Instagram photos of the family drop-off, which showed her in a blue Denver Broncos sweatshirt and white jeans, while Schiffman donned a gray suit. “4th and 2nd grade! Whaaaatttt?”
And for their return to class, the kids both opted to wear pink. Haley rocked a striped T-shirt dress with all-white sneakers, while Hope sported a tiered floral frock with a denim jacket and running shoes with pink laces.
Kotb, 62, and Schiffman, 68, were together for eight years before breaking up in 2022. Since ending their engagement, the two have remained friendly as co-parents to Haley and Hope, who Kotb adopted 2017 and 2019, respectively.
“Joel is one of the best people I know, and he really is a great human being,” Kotb raved on a 2024 episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show. “And I feel like I’m a pretty great human being, but sometimes two great human beings together isn’t quite enough to make it work.”
In fact, the former morning show anchor said “growing at different paces” was what led her and Schiffman to amicably end their relationship.
“It’s hard to be in sync,” she explained. “I think a lot of people are probably in these situations.”
Still, Kotb wouldn’t change a thing about her time with the financier.
“I don’t regret one day, not one minute, not one second of our time together because it brought me here,” she said in a 2022 interview with People. “I have two incredible children I share with him.”
Kotb continued, “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. That’s not something I love to admit, but it’s true.”
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Time
And while she and Schiffman grew apart romantically, the pair “have it down” when it comes to raising Haley and Hope.
“He’ll have a Saturday, and I’ll do the Sunday. We switch each week,” Kotb added. “He’ll take the girls and do some fun things, and I’ll take some quiet time. It’s a healthy mix, and the kids love it. He’s a great dad.”
Keep reading to find out how other celebrities are sending their kids back to school.
Adrian DENNIS / POOL / AFP via Getty Images
Instagram/Khloe Kardashian
LeBron James/Instagram
Craig Melvin/Instagram
Jamie Lynn Spears/Instagram
Kendra Wilkinson/Instagram
Mia Talerico/Instagram
Richard Blais/Instagram
Trista Sutter/Instagram
Sheryl Crow/Instagram
Iman Shumpert/Instagram
Giada De Laurentiis/Instagram
Tristan Thompson/Instagram
Melissa Joan Hart/Instagram
Kelly Stafford/Instagram
Lindsay Arnold/Instagram
Jana Kramer/Instagram
Brittany Aldean/Instagram
DeAnna Pappas/Instagram
Taylor Selfridge/Instagram
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
