Hoda Kotb’s 8-year-old daughter, Haley, discovered that her previous “Today” was fighting breast cancer by reading about it in her new book, “Jump and Find Joy.”
“I saw Haley reading my book, and there’s probably a lot she doesn’t know,” the 61-year-old explained in Tuesday’s episode of her former co-star Jenna Bush Hager’s “Open Book” podcast.
“She said, “Did you have breast cancer?!” I said, “Oh, my god!”
In 2007, KOTB was diagnosed with breast cancer and subsequently undergoes mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. She has remained cancer-free ever since.
Despite his shock at Haley’s discovery, KOTB is pleased that it ultimately led to a “real” conversation.
“I think we actually know each other as people, people,” she said. “It’s not just Mom or the kids that you know.”
After 26 years of broadcast, KOTB, which ended the “Today” show in January, admitted that she was looking for a more “deep connection” with Hailey and her other daughters, Hope, and the six.
She said the move “created space” to be more present and involved in her children’s lives.
“I keep reminding myself: make it smaller,” she shared the process. “Get all the conversations. Get to know your child.”
After moving away from the NBC Morning Show’s fuss, Kotb told people he realized “There’s a lot more to life.”
She confessed to the outlet in March. “I couldn’t witness the everyday life of a child because of what I was doing. I was able to see Haley sing “What a Wonderful World” at 9:15am. I would have missed that.
Two months later, the former TV host, forced to do a two-week “today” show in early 2023, revealed that Hope was hospitalized but “undetectedly weighed” about her decision to leave the programme for Type 1 diabetes.
Just before his retirement announcement in September 2024, Kotb had just turned 60 – said he felt, “This is like a season of repotting and growth.”
“There’s a sense that the roots are rising into the air,” she said at the time.
