Hoda Kotb is known and loved by millions of Today Show viewers. But the love of her life,
Joel Schiffman, isn't exactly a household name or a public figure at all. So here's
everything you need to know about him.
Hoda Kotb meets plenty of interesting people in the entertainment industry as one of the
hosts of Today. But her fiance wasn't one of them. In fact, Schiffman's career has nothing
to do with show business at all, as he's a financier with nearly 35 years of experience
in the industry. He received a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the University of
California and a Masters from the University of Pennsylvania. After he completed his schooling,
he worked for various companies while climbing the corporate ladder. According to his LinkedIn
profile, his current position is the Head of Intermediary Distribution of North America
at Schroder Investment Management.
While we imagine that Schiffman might find his own work intriguing, his job-related stories
probably don't hold up against Kotb's since she gets to do things like host the Macy's
Thanksgiving Day parade. But we're sure she nevertheless listens intently to every detail
when she asks him how his day was.
Kotb appeared to have no problem navigating the single life after her divorce from former
tennis coach Burzis Kanga in 2007 after two years of marriage. But that changed when she
met Schiffman. And what made it seem like destiny was that Kotb met the love of her
life at an occasion that she wasn't eager to attend but showed up for anyway. It was
an event where she was asked to speak, and it was pouring rain that day, and the people
there were a bunch of Wall Street types. She, admittedly, didn't want to go at all.
Thankfully, Kotb dutifully popped into the event and after delivering a talk, she was
asked to sign some books. While the crowd wasn't exactly her target audience, one person
was interested in what she was selling. Or rather, he was interested in the star herself.
That guy, of course, was Schiffman. The two later connected via email, and they're now
living happily ever after.
"And this guy walks up and he goes, 'I'll take a book.' And I said, 'Okay.' And he goes,
I go, 'Who do you want me to write it to?' I was like, 'Your girlfriend, your wife, your
aunt?' He goes, 'Write it to me.'"
Hoda Kotb may be a well-known media personality, but it turns out that she's nevertheless also
super stealthy and can keep a secret. And we know that because she's apparently willing
and able to use sneaky means in order to keep the details of her personal life private when
she wants to. That's just what she did early on in her relationship with Schiffman. In
order to protect his identity and give their relationship room to grow outside of the spotlight,
she gave him a nickname. She would call him "Boots" because only his shoes would be shown
on the Today Show.
"Some things, if you keep them private and quiet, they actually flourish and grow."
It seems like Schiffman agrees with the value of keeping some things under wraps as he keeps
his Instagram set to private. It's probably safe to guess that he appreciates a certain
level of privacy even though he's in a relationship with one of the most famous women in the country.
"So I'm trying to let it go and let it be, and see what happens with it."
After meeting and falling in love, things were going so well between Kotb and Schiffman
that they came to the point that they were ready to move in together. However, Kotb also
realized that she couldn't take that step until she told her partner that she wanted
to adopt a child.
"I have this voice inside, this feeling inside that I can't push down anymore."
"You want to be a mom."
"I want to be a mother."
Thankfully for the hopeful mother, when she shared her thoughts, Schiffman was on board.
So in February 2017, she adopted a daughter named Haley Joy.
While Kotb was obviously overjoyed by the addition to her family, she at first didn't
publicly reveal if she was raising the little one with Schiffman even though he was around
and seemingly involved. But then in March 2019, while on The Wendy Williams Show, Kotb
talked about how she and Schiffman are raising Haley together, which prompted Williams to
ask if Schiffman is "on the papers."
"He's the father."
"Ohh, nice."
"He's the father."
"Nice."
"I mean, whether you get married or not, it seems he's stuck with ya!"
In April 2019, Kotb announced that she had adopted a second daughter, Hope Catherine.
Occasionally, she lets the world in on her family life by showing off some shots of "Daddy-daughter"
cuteness with Schiffman and the girls on Instagram.
Kotb and Schiffman like to do things their own way. While other couples might get engaged
before getting married and then having children, these two adopted their little ones and then
he decided to propose. On November 25th, 2019, Kotb announced on Today that she and Schiffman
were engaged after six years together. The news came as a shock to Kotb's co-hosts, Jenna
Bush Hager, Craig Melvin, and Al Roker. But it was Savannah Guthrie who had the most extreme
reaction.
"What are you talking about?! What?!"
"When did you put that on? Was that on the whole time?!"
"No, I had it in my bra!"
After a round of congratulations and hugs, Kotb showed off her new sparkler and revealed
that the big moment took place while the couple were on vacation and enjoying a romantic meal
on the beach. She claimed that she wasn't expecting anything to happen. She was licking
the bottom of her bowl of churros when Schiffman announced that he had something else that
he wanted to say. He proceeded to say some beautiful things, get down on one knee, and
ask her if she would be his wife. She obviously said yes. She took to Instagram the day after
she shared the news to post a picture of herself and her fiancé while also showing off the
ring along with the caption,
"He da man!"
Joel Schiffman is enjoying life as a father as he raises two daughters with his fiance,
but he isn't new to the parenting game, as he was married before and has a grown daughter
named Kyle. In 2019, Kyle opened up about her father by telling Closer Weekly,
"He's a great dad and I love him dearly. He's always fun to hang around."
She also spoke about her parents' relationship by noting,
"They're still very friendly. I mean, because of me. They have always wanted to make sure
that at least kept a good relation for me. That's helped...when I was growing up."
Kyle also had some thoughts about her dad's relationship with Kotb by gushing,
"It's great to finally see just the two of them are so happy and they love doing the
same thing. They just enjoy each other's time and they're perfect for each other and I love
them both so much!"
Kyle also once dropped by Today to visit Kotb and then took to social media to declare how
awesome her dad's then-girlfriend was.
Schiffman spends a lot of time around the water with his fiance. And it's not hard to
understand why when you get a glimpse of the pair enjoying time on the beach, on a dock,
or on a boat. The family even celebrated an early Christmas on the shore in 2018. They're
also willing to go beaching in December even though they have to bundle up. That's surely
why in 2018, Kotb bought a $2 million four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom waterfront home that
includes a private swimming dock.
The New York Times reported that the channelside getaway, located in Point Lookout, New York,
sits in an area that's only a few blocks wide and has water on three sides. Activities in
the area are focused around water, including Jet-Skiing, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, power-boating,
and sailing. There are also two public marinas that have boats available for rent or charter.
Plus, there's a yacht that regularly holds races, and sailors are out on the water even
in January. Even before the big home purchase, savvy social media watchers had already taken
note of Kotb and Schiffman's preference for the area. And by the looks of it, these two
are enjoying every moment by the water. That's how to embrace beach life with your family!
Schiffman and Kotb are certainly a popular pair, and that seems to suit Schiffman just
fine. If he's an introvert, he hides it well, as he can regularly be spotted accompanying
Kotb out on the town for mouthwatering meals or to attend fabulously fancy events. Sometimes
the couple can be seen spending a day in the sunshine with friends by the water, while
other times they appreciate some quality time with extended family members, like Kotb's
mom. And they certainly appear to be happy to just head out together for a fun Friday
night.
Schiffman and Kotb also indulge in their adorably fun life together while taking advantage of
Kotb's high profile. For example, they attended a Little Big Town concert with Jenna Bush
Hager and even hung out with the band. They've also met up with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
after an event for McGraw's book Grit & Grace. Kotb made sure to share a photo of the two
couples along with the caption,
"Tim had the audience of 1,000 spellbound. We laughed we cried and Faith looks 20 years
old."
But Schiffman also appears to enjoy just staying home with his family. Whether they're decorating
for the holidays or enjoying a sweet bonding moment with their daughters, Schiffman is
right in the middle of the family fun.
Schiffman is apparently a capable cook, and his fiance sure seems to appreciate the tasty
treats that he whips up. During an appearance on Bethenny Frankel's talk show, Kotb admitted
that she doesn't cook but would love to learn. When Frankel pointed out that Kotb does a
cooking segment as a part of her job and thus has had plenty of opportunities to pick up
a few culinary skills, she responded by saying,
"I know but I don't listen. You know how they are. Stirring. I tune out."
"Always keep the spoon, otherwise it'll splatter."
"Look at that trick with the spoon!"
"Always keep the spoon so it doesn't splatter."
"That's so smart!"
Hopefully her guests aren't offended!
Thankfully for Kotb, Schiffman appears to be willing and able to handle all things food-related.
She often shares photos of the man she describes as "one hot chef" either in the kitchen or
grilling something up at the barbecue. She also regularly praises her foodie fiancé
by adding captions like "Saturday dinner with chef Joel" while showing off a fish dish.
"Dinner a la Joel" is apparently "delicious" even when he makes chicken and burned broccoli,
and his omelets earned him a "Whatta man!" We have to wonder if he was also responsible
for the adorable homemade cake on Haley's first birthday that Kotb shared on Instagram.
Joel Schiffman is pretty darn special, at least according to Hoda Kotb, who likes to
let the world know why he's worthy of her love. While on The Wendy Williams Show in
March 2019, she called him the finest man that she's ever met.
"And he's just, he's everything."
She was just as effusive in her love and praise during a 2018 appearance on Watch What Happens
Live, as she told Andy Cohen,
"I love Joel."
"Yes!"
"I mean, I'm going to be with Joel until my last breath."
"Wow!"
Kotb has also talked about why her relationship with Schiffman works so well, telling Us Weekly
in 2015 that he's willing to watch MTV's Girl Code with him and therefore passes the "Will
he watch Girl Code with me?" test. She also noted,
"I think we just genuinely like to be together. I don't know how else to put it. It's really
simple, really."
In June 2019, Schiffman and Kotb celebrated over half a decade together. The Today host
took to Instagram to share a special anniversary post that included a picture of herself and
her love along with the caption,
"Yesterday marked 6 years with this incredible man. 6 years...2 children...2 new jobs...1
grateful heart."
We can't help but agree that their love is absolutely something to be grateful for!
"You don't know when it will happen, so I think there are a lot of people who wonder
like, 'I think it's not for me.' I don't know, look… I wouldn't be so sure."
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