Hoda Kotb has revealed that her eight-year-old daughter, Haley, discovered her mother had breast cancer after reading her new book. The former Today show host, 61, said Haley came across the information while reading 'Jump and Find Joy', Kotb's recently released memoir.
Speaking on the Open Book podcast with Jenna Bush Hager, Kotb recalled the moment Haley said: 'You had breast cancer!' She admitted the discovery took her by surprise but added that her younger daughter, Hope, six, had since read the book, strengthening their bond. 'We’re knowing each other as people, humans, not just mom or authority figure versus child,' she explained.
Kotb was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and underwent a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery that March. She has been cancer-free since. Her comments come after she left NBC's Today show in January to spend more time with her daughters, whom she shares with ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman.
The decision to step away also followed Hope's diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes. Kotb told People magazine in May: 'It’s constant care for Hope. We’re monitoring her 24/7.' She described her daughter as a 'trooper' for managing the condition, which required four to five injections daily for a year.
Reflecting on her new chapter, Kotb said leaving the show gave her space to 'sit and have a real conversation' with her children. 'I feel like my kids chose me, and I chose them for sure,' she added. 'In choosing them, parent them. Be with them.'
