Today Show anchor Hoda Kotb might have shocked some viewers about the end of her eight-year relationship with fiancé Joel Schiffman, but her calm explanation might reveal how mature the couple was in handling their differences. The fact that they were able to realize the path forward as husband and wife wasn’t the right one for them, demonstrates that not every partnership is for life.
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After “a lot of prayerful and meaningful conversations over the holidays,” Kotb revealed that she and Schiffman came to the conclusion that they were “better as friends and parents” instead of “as an engaged couple.” Even though a breakup is difficult, they’ve already committed to being the best parents they can be to daughters, Haley, 4, and Hope, 2. For any fan wondering why they split in the first place, the TV show host shared a reason that may resonate with a lot of people.
Hoda Kotb and Joel Schiffman have gone their separate ways. See which other famous couples called it quits this year. https://t.co/oDcVCe41AU
— SheKnows (@SheKnows) January 31, 2022
“It’s not like something happened,” she noted on Monday’s show. “They say sometimes relationships are meant to be there for a reason, or a season or for a lifetime. And I feel like ours was meant to be there for a season.” The couple shared eight beautiful years together and started a family, but as time went on (and in a pandemic), they realized that their lives were on different paths. They could have chosen to get married and ignored those gnawing feelings that something wasn’t right, but that wouldn’t be honoring their current needs as individuals. And their kids would have felt the undercurrent of unhappiness instead of having two parents thriving in a healthy co-parenting situation.
This likely wasn’t a decision Kotb and Schiffman came to easily, but they’ve both been married before and know what it takes to sustain a successful relationship. If it can’t be achieved during an engagement, it certainly wasn’t going to magically resolve itself with a walk down the aisle. So their choice to split, however difficult, was a wonderful way to honor the season they shared together as they now move forward creating new memories as friends.
Before you go, click here to see celebrity exes who will always be friends.
