Hoda Kotb faces a harsh reality as “all paths of love” lead back to Joel Schiffman! Behind her radiant smile on television lies a painful internal struggle for Hoda Kotb in her search for true love. Despite her efforts to open herself up to new relationships, the veteran NBC host seems to be trapped in an inescapable emotional maze. Those close to her reveal that, after all her failed dates, the shadow of her former fiancé, Joel Schiffman, remains too large, making all her attempts to move forward seem hopeless.

<span class="wp-caption-text">Getty Images</span>
Getty Images

Hoda Kotb is pulling the plug on finding love, says an insiders, now that the former Today star has finally given up on a reunion with ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman.

The 61-year-old single mom of daughters Haley, 8, and Hope, 6, has been chattering about jumping onto the dating-go-round again for years, and even asked former Today cohorts Savannah Guthrie and Jenna Bush Hager to set her up, according to Entertainment Tonight.

 <span class="wp-caption-text">Hoda Kotb</span>

Hoda Kotb

But that went nowhere and pals blame Hoda, insisting she’s still hung up on Schiffman, 67, whom she split from in 2022 following a three-year engagement.

Dishes an insider: “She was thinking he was coming back and even expecting it for so long, but now she’s saying she’s finally given up and sees it’s for the best.”

“She has started to turn her attention to other people and had some dates, but that’s not panning out well.”

“All roads lead back to Joel because what they had was special.”

But an insider blames the former TV star for the breakup, saying that Hoda thought their romance “needed to be something else.”

“She dragged the relationship down and that’s a hard fact to face. Now, she’s filling her calendar and starting to get busy again and putting an effort into meeting somebody, but she’s philosophical about it, too.”

 <span class="wp-caption-text">ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA</span>

ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA

Globe previously reported how financial honcho Schiffman — who is still friendly with Hoda while coparenting their adopted girls — was keen on a hookup arrangement with Hoda, but she balked at that and tried to hold out for something more meaningful.

In her recent memoir, Jump and Find Joy: Embracing Change in Every Season of Life, she cried over the loss of their love affair, and recalled a soul-searching experience at a life-building retreat that left her reexamining her priorities.

“I knew I could say that I wanted to better myself or something vague like that,” Kotb writes. “But when I looked around at all the people who’d shared their raw truth, I felt so moved by their honesty.

“They deserved the same from me. So, I said it. I told the truth about why I had come. ‘I am a total phony in my relationships,’ I said. ‘I’m a pretender.’ ”

Hoda Kotb Reveals the Reason Why She and Joel Schiffman Broke Up | Closer  WeeklyThe New Era of “Hoda’s Home”

As of early 2026, Hoda’s departure from the Today show has allowed her to lean fully into her new digital lifestyle platform, “Hoda’s Home,” where she often explores the complexities of midlife transitions and solo parenting. While the “phony” admission in her memoir was a painful realization, friends say it has acted as a catalyst for a more authentic lifestyle. Rather than forcing herself into the high-pressure New York dating scene to satisfy the expectations of her peers, she has reportedly found a new kind of “soul connection” through her wellness retreats and community engagement. By choosing to prioritize “presence over position,” Kotb is demonstrating that being single at 61 isn’t a sign of failure, but rather a deliberate choice to wait for a partnership that offers depth rather than just a filled seat at the dinner table.

Moving Beyond the “Schiffman Shadow”

Despite the lingering whispers of a reconciliation, those closest to the former anchor insist that Hoda and Joel have mastered the art of “conscious co-parenting” without the romantic entanglement. The frequent sightings of the pair together—most recently during a family outing in late 2025—are a testament to their friendship rather than a rekindled flame. Hoda has hinted in recent episodes of her Joy Rides YouTube series that she is no longer looking for someone to “fix” or someone to “complete” her. Instead, she is embracing her “decade of choosing me,” focusing on raising Haley and Hope in a home filled with transparency. Whether a new “meaningful connection” arrives or not, Hoda seems finally at peace with the idea that her most important love story is the one she is currently writing with her daughters and herself.

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