In a stunning revelation that has left fans reeling, Hoda Kotb, the beloved co-anchor of NBC’s Today show, recently opened up about the deeply personal reason behind her abrupt departure from the iconic morning program in January 2025. After 26 years with NBC, including a celebrated tenure as co-anchor, Kotb shocked viewers when she announced her exit, citing a desire to “turn the page at 60” and spend more time with her family. However, in a raw and emotional interview with People magazine on May 28, 2025, Kotb disclosed the true catalyst for her decision: her youngest daughter, Hope, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, a life-altering condition that demanded Kotb’s constant attention and care. “I really wanted to and needed to be here to watch over her,” Kotb confessed, her words resonating with parents everywhere who have faced the anguish of a child’s chronic illness.

A Mother’s Heartbreaking Dilemma

Kotb’s journey as a mother has always been a cornerstone of her public persona. At 60, she is a proud mother to two adopted daughters, Haley, 8, and Hope, 6, whom she co-parents with her ex-fiancé, Joel Schiffman. While Kotb has often shared heartwarming anecdotes about her daughters on air, she kept Hope’s health struggles private until now. The revelation came during a poignant return to the Today show as a guest on May 28, 2025, where she co-hosted the fourth hour alongside her longtime friend and former co-anchor, Jenna Bush Hager. Speaking with co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin, Kotb bared her soul, explaining how Hope’s diagnosis reshaped her priorities. “You just get a priority check in your life,” she said. “I can be here and sweating what’s happening to Hope in the morning and in the night, or I can be there and feel relief that I can see her.”

Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease that prevents the pancreas from producing insulin, requires vigilant monitoring and frequent insulin injections. For a young child like Hope, managing the condition is particularly challenging, often requiring round-the-clock care. Kotb described the relentless demands of Hope’s treatment, noting that her daughter initially needed “four or five shots a day” for a year, though advancements in technology have since reduced the frequency of injections. “It’s kind of constant care for Hope. We’re monitoring her 24/7,” Kotb told People, praising her daughter as a “trooper” for enduring the daily challenges of the disease. Despite the hardships, Kotb emphasized Hope’s resilience, calling her a “happy, healthy, rambunctious, amazing kid” whose condition is “a part of her, but not all of her.”

The Crisis That Changed Everything

Hope’s diagnosis was not a sudden revelation but the culmination of a harrowing health scare that began in February 2023, when Kotb took an unexpected two-week hiatus from Today. At the time, her co-hosts, Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones, assured viewers that Kotb was dealing with a “family health matter” but offered no further details. When Kotb returned to the show in March 2023, she shared that Hope, then four years old, had spent several days in the ICU and over a week in the hospital due to a sudden illness. “She’s vibrant and brilliant. She’s home. I’m over the moon that she’s home,” Kotb said at the time, her relief palpable but her words carefully chosen to protect her daughter’s privacy.

It wasn’t until her recent interview that Kotb revealed the full extent of that ordeal. Hope’s early symptoms mimicked the flu, prompting Kotb and her family to rush her to the hospital, where they received the devastating diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. “You get there and you realize it’s not that at all,” Kotb recalled to TODAY.com. The experience was a turning point, forcing Kotb to confront the limitations of her demanding career. As a morning show host, Kotb’s schedule was grueling, with a 3:15 a.m. wake-up call that left her little flexibility to manage Hope’s unpredictable needs. “So many nights, Hoda would be up all night with Hope and then come in here with that smile on her face, and she hadn’t slept a wink,” Savannah Guthrie revealed during Kotb’s guest appearance, highlighting the emotional toll of balancing her professional and personal lives.

A Career Sacrificed for Love

Kotb’s decision to leave Today was not made lightly. As one of the most recognizable faces in morning television, she had built a remarkable career at NBC, starting as a correspondent for Dateline in 1998 and rising to co-anchor of Today in 2018 alongside Guthrie, marking the show’s first all-female anchor team. Her infectious positivity and genuine warmth endeared her to millions of viewers, and her chemistry with co-hosts like Jenna Bush Hager made the fourth hour, Today with Hoda & Jenna, a fan favorite. Yet, the demands of her role often left Kotb feeling “too out of reach” to help Hope when she needed her most.

In September 2024, Kotb announced her departure, explaining that her 60th birthday had prompted a reflection on her life’s priorities. “My daughters and my mom need and deserve a bigger slice of my time pie,” she wrote in a heartfelt letter to Today staff. While she initially framed her exit as a desire to explore new opportunities and spend more time with her family, the revelation of Hope’s condition adds a layer of complexity to her choice. “I really wanted to and needed to be here to watch over her,” Kotb told People. “So whenever she needs anything—and it can happen at night, multiple times—I’m up. I’m up, up, up.” Yet, she was quick to clarify that she didn’t want Hope to feel responsible for her decision. “I would never, ever want Hope to one day grow up and say, ‘Oh, my mom left her job because of me.’ It wasn’t that alone. But if you look at it cumulatively, it was a part of that decision.”

A New Chapter Filled with Joy

Since leaving Today, Kotb has embraced a slower pace of life, relishing the small moments with her daughters that her previous schedule made impossible. She now wakes up at 4:30 a.m.—a luxury compared to her former 3:15 a.m. call time—to walk Haley and Hope to school, play tennis, and work on her new wellness brand, Joy 101. The brand, which includes an app, website, courses, and live events, reflects Kotb’s passion for community and personal well-being. “It’s really cool to just realize that there’s so much more to life,” she told People. “I got to see Haley sing ‘What a Wonderful World’ at 9:15 a.m.—I would have missed that.”

Kotb’s daughters have adjusted to having their mom at home, though Haley has expressed concern for Jenna Bush Hager, who was visibly emotional during Kotb’s final Today episode on January 10, 2025. The send-off was a tearful affair, featuring guest appearances from stars like Simone Biles and Jimmy Fallon, and a touching moment when Kermit the Muppet sang “Rainbow Connection” to Kotb and her daughters. “Some things can be super sad and super beautiful, and that’s what that was,” Kotb recalled.

A Message of Resilience and Hope

Kotb’s story is a powerful reminder of the sacrifices parents make for their children and the strength it takes to prioritize family over career. Her openness about Hope’s condition has also sparked conversations about type 1 diabetes, a chronic illness that affects millions worldwide. Kotb’s advice to other parents is both practical and heartfelt: “Don’t put your worry on your kid. Watch them, but don’t put your worry on them. Let them be kids and give them what they need when they need it.”

As Kotb navigates this new chapter, she remains a beacon of hope and resilience, proving that even in the face of heartbreak, love and family can light the way forward. While she has ruled out replacing Kelly Clarkson on her talk show, Kotb hinted at a potential return to Today someday, telling Melvin and Guthrie, “If I ever came back to TV, do you know where the only place I would ever come back to? Right here.” For now, Kotb is content to be exactly where she needs to be: by Hope’s side, cherishing every moment with her daughters and building a legacy of love.