Hoda Kotb Gets 60th Birthday Surprise From Her Daughters

Hoda Kotb has the day off from the Today show to celebrate her 60th birthday, and the special occasion kicked off this morning with a surprise from her two daughters, Haley Joy, 7, and Hope Catherine, 5.

Taking to Instagram on Friday, August 9, Kotb shared a gallery of photos of herself and her family celebrating her birthday. The first pic shows an excited Kotb opening gifts while her daughters watch on. Another snap sees one of the host’s daughters arranging balloons in the dining room, while another shows the girls hugging their grandma, Kotb’s mother, Sameha Kotb.

The final photo is a full family shot, including Kotb’s younger brother, Adel, with everyone posing for the camera in front of a “Happy Birthday” banner.

“Great bday morning!! Lucky me xoxoxo,” the long-time NBC co-anchor wrote in her caption.

Kotb and her ex-husband, Joel Schiffman, announced on the Today show in 2017 that they had adopted a baby girl named Haley Joy. Then, in April 2019, Kotb called into Today to announce she’d adopted a second baby girl named Hope Catherine. Kotb and Schiffman split in 2022.

On Thursday, August 8, Kotb posted a video on Instagram of her arriving home from the Olympics in Paris. In the clip, Kotb is met with a warm hug from her two girls, who run to the front door to greet her.

Hoda Kotb Instagram

Kotb had been in Paris to cover the Summer Olympics for Today, where she interviewed the likes of multi-time Gold-medal-winning gymnast Simone Biles and Silver-medal-winning cross-country mountain biker Haley Batten.

During her interview with Batten, Kotb said, “My daughter Haley was so happy that someone named Haley won. She was like, ‘Mommy, Mommy! Haley won!’ I go, ‘Yes, she did!’”

The official Today X account also wished Kotb a happy birthday, including some recent quotes from the morning show co-host.

Happy birthday, Hoda! pic.twitter.com/eORDn61dD5

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) August 9, 2024

“My 50s were my best, and I imagine, because my 50s were my best, that my 60s will be even better than that,” Kotb said. “Blessings come when they come. You don’t get the choice. In my 50s, I got my children, I got the job I dreamt of, I found out who I was myself. Finally, I feel like I’m 100% me.

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