Hoda Kotb has spent decades opening her heart to viewers — but it was one quiet moment at home that brought her to tears. During a recent appearance on Jenna Bush Hager’s “Open Book” podcast, the 61-year-old former Today host revealed the surprising way her 8-year-old daughter, Haley, discovered one of the hardest chapters of her life — her battle with breast cancer.
The emotional revelation came when Haley picked up Hoda’s latest memoir, Jump and Find Joy, and started reading it on her own. “I saw Haley reading my book and there’s probably a lot of stuff in there that she doesn’t know,” Hoda explained. “She’s like, ‘You had breast cancer?’ And I just froze. I was like, ‘Oh my God.’”
That innocent question cracked open years of emotion for Hoda, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. It was a defining moment that reshaped her view of life, love, and family — and it ultimately led her to motherhood through adoption years later. “The fact is, I think we’re knowing each other as people now,” she said. “Not just as mom and daughter, but as humans.”
Hoda described how, in the fast-paced life of television and parenting, she once saw her children as “problems that needed to be solved.” But stepping away from the Today show earlier this year, after 17 years as co-host, allowed her to slow down and reconnect on a deeper level. “To realize you can sit and have a real conversation with your child — and soak that in — it made space in me,” she said. “When you’re crowded, when you’re carving out small spaces for your kids or yourself, even tiny little pockets… they don’t get enough.”
Leaving Today in January 2025 was one of Hoda’s most difficult career decisions. In an emotional farewell message, she admitted, “My heart is all over the map. I know I’m making the right decision, but it’s painful. They say two things can be true at once — and that’s how I feel. I love you all, but it’s time.”
Hoda’s decision, she later explained, came after turning 60 — a milestone that made her reflect on what mattered most. “I saw it clearly,” she said. “My broadcast career has been beyond meaningful, but my daughters and my mom deserve a bigger slice of my time pie.”
Now, that “bigger slice” means bedtime chats, pancake mornings, and heart-to-hearts that reveal just how much her daughters are growing — and understanding.
Haley’s discovery of her mother’s cancer battle was one of those raw, unexpected moments that reminded Hoda just how far she’s come. “They chose me,” she said of her daughters, “and now, I’m choosing them.”
As she embarks on this new chapter, Hoda hopes her story — and her daughter’s question — inspire others to embrace the power of honesty, healing, and second chances. “You never know when the most important conversation of your life will happen,” she said. “Sometimes, it starts with one innocent question — and changes everything.”
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