Hoda Kotb Celebrates Ex-Fiance Joel Schiffman as the ‘Best Dad’ on His Birthday

Hoda Kotb isn’t letting a split from her ex-fiance, Joel Schiffman, dampen her thoughts on how they parent their two kids.

On Sunday, March 22, the former Today host, 61, took to her Instagram to share a pair of photos of Schiffman, 68, celebrating his birthday with their two daughters, Hope, 6, and Haley, 9.

The first photo shows Schiffman holding both girls at a table with some pigs in a blanket in front of him as well as a drawing expressing love clearly done by one of the kids. The other shows the family of four standing together, cutting into a birthday cake.

“Happy bday to the best DAD!!!” Kotb captioned the post.

As Closer previously reported, the duo first met at a 2013 event in New York City. A relationship soon blossomed and she revealed in November of 2019 that he popped the question. However, in 2022 the journalist announced that they’d decided to call off the engagement.

“Joel and I have had a lot of prayerful and meaningful conversations over the holidays and we decided that we’re better as friends and parents than we are as an engaged couple, so we decided we are going to start this new year … on our new path as loving parents to our adorable, delightful children, and as friends,” the Jump and Find Joy author said on Today at the time.

Kotb has returned to Today temporarily amid Savannah Guthrie’s leave of absence following the disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie.