Hoda Kotb has been open about her dating journey ever since she split from ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman in January 2022. She's now sharing a key detail about what she wants out of a future partner, and it's one that she declares to be a dating deal breaker.
During the October 28 episode of the Today show, Hoda and guest co-host Laura Jarrett gave their opinions about a viral moment between Spider-Man star Tom Holland protecting his girlfriend Zendaya from the paparazzi. As they talked about Tom getting between Zendaya and the photographers after they got too close, it led Hoda to share a core memory of how her parents behaved as a couple.
"Ever since I was a kid — and this kind of shaped how I view men — my dad was always uber polite," she stated in a clip posted on Instagram. "Like, to a point where my mother never — I didn't know she could touch a door handle. I never saw her do it. He did it every time. Not because she couldn't, but because he was saying, 'After you.'"
"I think there's something about somebody who sees you and just is polite," she added. "You just want someone who sees you. I think that's one of my absolutes. Without that, then it's like, it's not happening."
When fans saw Hoda's honest revelation about what she looks for in a future relationship, they all rushed to her side in agreement.
"My dad was like this too ... a gentleman 🙂," one person wrote in the comments. "Love this!!! I never open a door when my youngest son is around. ♥️♥️," another noted. "That's how my husband is with me. It was a learning curve for me but now I love it! He cherishes me and shows me constantly," a different follower added.
This isn't the first time Hoda has been open about her road to romance. When speaking on the Jamie Kern Lima Show back in August, she got candid on a big reason behind her split.
"Joel is one of the best people I know," she said at the time. "He really is a great human being, and I feel like I'm a great human being. But sometimes two great human beings together isn't enough to make it work ... I think when people are growing at different paces, it's hard to be in sync. And I think a lot of people are probably in these situations. I get it."
As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
