How old are Hoda Kotb's kids? Age and more explored as former Today show host reveals daughter’s diabetes diagnosis

Former anchor Hoda Kotb is opening up about how tranquil life at home with her kids is after she left the Today show back in January. Kotb, who was a co-anchor at Today for seven years in addition to having worked for around 30 years at NBC News, is a mother to two daughters.

Kotb’s older daughter, Haley Joy, is nine, and her younger daughter, Hope Catherine, is five. Both of Kotb’s children were adopted, as per InStyle. Kotb co-parents her young daughters alongside her ex-fiancé, Joel Schiffman.

On May 28, Kotb revealed that her younger daughter, Hope, has type 1 diabetes. During an interview with People Magazine, Kotb opened up about Hope’s diagnosis, and said,

“It's kind of constant care for Hope. She is diabetic. She is, she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, a while ago, when she got really sick.”

Today.com reported that Hope became sick in 2023, when she was hospitalized for one week. However, at the time, Kotb did not reveal that her daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

In her conversation with People Magazine, Hoda Kotb gave insights into the present status of Hope’s health, and said,

“We're monitoring her 24/7 and she is a happy, healthy, rambunctious, amazing kid, and we have to watch her. And I think, you know, she’s like, what a trooper for a kid who has to deal with all kinds of stuff.”

---

All about Hoda Kotb’s daughters

Hoda Kotb adopted her older daughter, Haley, in 2017, and Hope in 2019. In 2022, Kotb revealed to Good Housekeeping that it was actress Sandra Bullock who supported her in her adoption journey. The former Today host said about Bullock,

“I’d always felt a weird connection to her, though I only knew her from the show. But she was my age, and I just thought, ‘Wow, she’s really cool.’ I called her, and we talked. She said adopting was the most important thing she’d ever done.”

While speaking on the Today show in 2018, Kotb shared that having Haley changed her life. Dedicating her children’s book, I've Loved You Since Forever, to her daughter, Kotb said,

“Haley Joy, she changed pretty much everything. The way I saw the world, the way I saw myself. So I want to share a little bit about this little girl who inspired me to write her this love letter. It’s called, I've Loved You Since Forever.”

Kotb, who had her first daughter at the age of 52, has been open about the challenges of being an older mother. During her conversation with Good Housekeeping, she revealed,

“I got a letter at my house from some lady, and she said, ‘Who do you think you are, having those kids at this age?’”

She added that she chose to use the moment to let go of being worried about people’s perception of her life. She added,

“I realized that sometimes I was living my life being concerned about the perceptions of it. I sort of had this epiphany: I have a choice.”

During a conversation with People Magazine, Kotb said that she wished Haley had another sibling. She explained,

"When I talked to [Joel] about two, I said, 'Hey, I want to talk to you about something.' I said, 'I really feel like [Haley] should have a sibling ... just to go through life with. It's a long life she's going to live.' I want her to say, 'That's my brother, that's my sister.' "

Kotb’s younger daughter, Hope, is named as a tribute to motherhood. InStyle noted that when Hope was born, Hoda Kotb said on the Today show,

“The name [Hope] came because there are a lot of women out there who are hoping that their day is coming too, and I know the feeling of it not happening for a long time”

---

After exiting Today, Hoda Kotb is enjoying time at home with her daughters

While speaking to People Magazine about her life after she left Today, Hoda Kotb said that she is enjoying the perks of motherhood without being present in the moment. About experiencing little moments from her daughters’ lives, she said,

“Sometimes I’m right there working in my office, and they’ll run up to the window and wave to me and throw up a heart [with their hands]. They’re fine because they want me to be here, they’re just happy to see me, and then they’ll go off and play.”

Kotb also feels happier with her more flexible schedule. She added,

“I go on walks with the other moms from the 'burbs here after dinner and I love that. Things I didn’t do before because I was too tired.”

While Kotb is not an anchor anymore, she is still hard at work on a new venture. On May 28, Kotb returned to Today to talk about her new wellness brand, Joy 101. The brand consists of an app that guides users in practicing mindfulness. Speaking about the brand on Today, Kotb said,

“You hit a button and automatically curated for you is a special program.”

As per Hoda Kotb, her app provides users with a wide variety of aids for practicing activities such as meditation, prayer, and breathing exercises, among others.