Taking a break … again. Hoda Kotb was missing from the Friday, March 31, episode of Today, days after returning to the morning show following a family emergency.
“Hoda’s a bit under the weather,” Savannah Guthrie explained at the top of the show. “Good to have Craig [Melvin] along with us.” The coanchor, 51, did not detail Kotb’s situation, nor confirmed whether the journalist, 58, will be back on the show’s Monday, April 3, episode.
Kotb was first missing from the show on February 17. She left fans scratching their heads as to why after a cryptic Instagram post she shared on February 27, featuring a picture of a sign that read, “Choose hope.” The following day, Sheinelle Jones revealed that Guthrie had to step out from the show after being diagnosed with COVID-19 for the third time.
The Emmy winner returned to Today on March 6, explaining that her daughter Hope, 3, had been “in the ICU for a few days and in the hospital for a little more than a week.” She told Guthrie, “I’m so grateful she’s home. … I was waiting for that day to come. And we are watching her closely. I’m just so happy.” (Kotb also shares daughter Haley, 6, with ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman.)
The following day, she took to Twitter to express her gratitude to fans for their ongoing support. “I have read your notes …. your posts … thank you,” Kotb tweeted on March 7. “Means more than you will ever know xo.”
Guthrie announced on March 21 that Kotb would be taking another “vacation” from Today to spend time with her family while her daughters were on spring break.
Hope’s hospital stay was a scary time for the Oklahoma native. “Hoda had been terrified for Hope the last couple of weeks,” a source told Us Weekly earlier this month, adding, “Hoda has dropped everything and focused on being there for her youngest — by her hospital bed — and taking care of anything she could need. Hope is better now and recovering at home.”
The source went on to note that Schiffman — whom Kotb revealed she had split from after eight years together in January 2022 — was “by their side as well.”
The insider continued: “Savannah [and Hoda] are truly great friends on and off camera and Savannah was constantly checking in and seeing how she could help in any way.”
Guthrie wasn’t the only one showing her support for her Today cast mate. “Hoda’s coworkers and friends have been reaching out right and left and Hoda is definitely feeling the love!” a source told Us on Friday. “Hoda’s daughter is healing and getting better every day. It’s far less scary for Hoda at home. Hoda decided to take off spring break to spend as much time with her daughter as possible. After the health scare, she realized what was most important to her and it didn’t feel right going into work when her daughter was home all day after their terrifying ordeal.”
