Tragic Details About Hoda Kotb

There's something about the ever-optimistic Hoda Kotb that makes you want to lap up her infectious sense of humor. The "Today Show" co-anchor is at the pinnacle of her career and became a mother after adopting her daughters while in her 50s. Haley Joy and Hope Catherine's mom told Page Six that things only really came together for her at the age of 49. "For all the people who are late bloomers, hang in babe," she encouraged.

Kotb is intentional about her mental health. She told Chico's Inside Chic in 2016 that she deliberately begins each day with gratitude. "First thing in the morning, I try to scribble in a journal real quick, literally for 10 minutes or less. I write three things I'm grateful for and one great thing that happened in the last 24 hours," she said.  "The one great thing can be small, or it can be big, and I think that helps me right the ship." This ritual helps Kotb to "start thinking about the positive." She explained, "You start looking for the good things in the course of your day." Likewise, in an interview with Oprah Daily, the star dished that "joy comes from inside." She noted, "I think if you can find joy on the Wednesdays when you don't have something special happening, or some great event, that's the best."

Kotb knows what she's talking about, as she's faced many uphill battles in her life. Here's why she came out winning.

Hoda Kotb adored her father. Her admiration for the fossil engineer specialist was evident in an interview for the Apple+ documentary, "Dads." As a child, she knew her father could not be the president of the country because he was an immigrant, but she had dreams that he could be second-in-charge. She divulged on Today (via Oprah Daily), "I remember waking up believing that my dad was Vice President." Talk about a vivid imagination. She explained, "He taught us about hard work, like getting it done and we all just believed that we can be anything and do anything."

Imagine her sorrow, then, when she learned about Abdel Kader Kotb's death. She told Minnie Driver in her podcast, "Minnie Questions," that her brother arrived at college and said, "Come outside, I need to talk to you." She didn't want to and insisted that he tell her his news. She recalled, "He said, 'Dad had a heart attack, and he died.' It was like you couldn't even compute what was going on." Hoda revealed that she stayed at her brother Adel's place that night, "and I played James Taylor on the turntable over and over and over and over until we went home that morning." The loss of her father, which she described as "the worst thing in the world," also propelled her career. "Instead, when you don't have that 'attagirl,' you're like, I guess there's more of this mountain to climb," she mused.

Families keep you 100, and they also bail you out when you've hit a dead end. Hoda Kotb gave props to her younger brother, Adel Kotb, in her book, "Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee." There was a time when she wasn't doing so well financially, and her brother stepped up for her when she needed it the most. "When I got my first job out of college in Mississippi, I was flat broke. And I needed a car," she explained. It seems as if she had the typical woes of an unemployed college graduate and was struggling to get by. She continued, "Adel had worked all summer at a Church's Chicken, pocketing a total of $1,000. He saved every dime." At least someone in the family was making some cash, and putting it away for a rainy day.

However, Hoda had some pressing issues because she was penniless, and "the car dealer was demanding that I put money down. Adel gave me his entire summer salary to buy that car. Without hesitation, he wrote me a check." Her brother saw her dilemma and gave her everything he had. Hoda added, "He never said one word about it, either — there's none of that with him." The sibling bond is still evidently tight, as Adel frequently features in her Instagram feed at family gatherings or other special occasions.

Hoda Kotb has made her mark as an anchor of NBC's "Today," as well as on the fourth hour of "Today," entitled "Hoda and Jenna." In a 2019 interview with The Cut, she noted, "I got into this business to be in news and I love that part of the business." However, she struggled to get anyone to take a chance on her. 

Kotb related the story of how she went on a 10-day road trip, resume in hand, and was rejected by the "whole southeastern United States of America," per LinkedIn. "After that, at the end of it, 27 news directors had rejected me to my face," she said. She was on her way home and driving through Mississippi when she saw a sign that said, "Greenville our eye is on you. CBS." "I said let me go in there, get rejected from Greenville, and get a map. That was my plan," Kotb explained. However, the news director, who was appointed the day before, viewed her audition tape and said, "I like what I see." She also pointed out, "27 people thought I was terrible, and one didn't." Today, Kotb has proven her mettle and is a popular anchor and respected journalist. Stan Sandroni may have given Kotb a chance to prove herself, but it was the journalist who pushed her way through 27 rejections to get her shot. Now that's determination. 

Shakespeare wasn't kidding when he wrote, "When sorrows come, they come not single spies but in battalions" in the tragedy of "Hamlet." Hoda Kotb experienced a double blow in 2007 when she made a shocking discovery. In the Minnie Driver podcast, "Minnie Questions," she revealed, "In this weird span of a week I found out that I needed a mastectomy, and at the same time I found out that the guy who I was married to was being unfaithful." Still reeling from her cancer diagnosis, Kotb asked, "'What is happening? What happened?' I didn't understand."

In an interview with Radar Online, tennis coach Burzis Kanga told his side of the story. "We had some differences," Kanga shared. "My father was ill. She was ill. It was a difficult time." After marrying Kotb in December 2005, he had also moved from New Orleans to New York, and that had put their marriage under stress. "I was not used to the big city, I guess," Kanga mused. He also said that "the divorce happened under difficult conditions." Kanga then confessed, "In hindsight, there was a level of immaturity on my part, mistakes I made." The tennis coach also regretted that they were "married for a short time. It's a shame it transpired that way." However, Kanga praised his ex-wife, saying, "I will always cherish our memories. She is the epitome of class. I think the world of her." As he should.

While Hoda Kotb has overcome many obstacles, she seemingly did not win the pay gap battle that so many working women face. According to Page Six, Kotb landed Matt Lauer's spot on the "Today" show, but there was a big difference in their salaries. The outlet reported that Kotb would be earning approximately $18 million less per annum than Lauer got for the same job. A source told Page Six, "Hoda isn't complaining about the money. She has landed the big job she always dreamed of, and most definitely deserves." They also pointed out that Lauer's paycheck "reflected the long time he was on the show — 25 years." Apparently, Hoda could re-negotiate her pay during her contract renewal. They added, "But the figures underline the huge wage disparity at NBC News."

In 2021, Hoda Kotb spoke candidly to E! News about her experience as a woman in journalism. "I think I spent most of my career being paid less than my male counterpart, without question," she mused. Only in later years did she question her salary, stating, "I think I actually deserve this, or I can ask for this. I wish I didn't waste so many years either not paying attention." She revealed that "you should get paid what you're worth. Simple as that." While it hasn't been confirmed if she ever got a pay raise, we do know that Kotb deserves every cent she earns.