Hoda Kotb, Joel Schiffman Break Up After 8 Years Together: 'Better As Friends'

Hoda Kotb and Joel Schiffman have called it quits after two years of engagement and a total of eight years together.

Kotb made the announcement on "Today with Hoda & Jenna" Monday. The 57-year-old TV personality explained that she decided to let the public know about the split because some have been wondering why she hasn't been wearing her engagement ring.

"Joel and I have had a lot of prayerful and meaningful conversations over the holidays and we decided that we are 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 adorably delightful children and as friends," she said during the third hour of the show.

Kotb and Schiffman share two adopted daughters, Haley Joy, 4, and Hope Catherine, 2.

The journalist and Schiffman, 63, went public with their relationship in 2015, two years after they quietly began dating. The financier proposed in November 2019. Before they called off their engagement, their wedding plans had been put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kotb stressed that "it's not like something happened" to cause the breakup, explaining that their relationship was just "meant to be there for a season."

Kotb admitted she had a hard time thinking about how she was going to break the news to fans without feeling "weird and awkward."

However, she realized that she has shared the "fun" and joyous parts of her life, including the adoption of her kids and her engagement, and should share the "difficult" parts as well.

"I think a lot of women know what this feels like in this moment, to be changing course in life, and I feel really brave in this moment, I really do," she continued. "To be able to acknowledge it and say to yourself, 'OK, this is the path that we're going to be taking from here on,' that feels so much better, I feel better."

Kotb went on to say that sometimes in life, "you just have to say the truth," adding, "There's nothing that relieves your soul more than when you tell the truth … if you've ever held something inside and not said it."

As for her ex-fiancé, Kotb called Schiffman a "great guy" and a "very kind and loving person." She said she has no regrets about their time together.

"I feel privileged to have spent eight years with him," she said. "We're both good, we're both going on our way, and we'll be good parents to those lovely kids."

In October 2021, Kotb opened up about her journey to motherhood and adopting two baby girls on People's "Me Becoming Mom" podcast. She said she was terrified when she initially discussed the idea with Schiffman thinking that it could be "the end of a relationship or the beginning of a family."

Kotb was determined to have kids and knew that regardless of Schiffman's opinion, she would still do it. But according to the journalist, he made the decision easy for her, and this made her realize she chose the right man.

"I chose a man who chose my happiness over his convenience maybe in that moment," she said at the time, as quoted by People.