Hoda Kotb Says She’s Texting the ‘Very Good-looking’ Man She Met on a Aircraft, however Will not Name It Romance But

Hoda Kotb’s unusually emotional encounter with a stranger on an airplane didn’t finish when the flight landed. The previous At this time anchor now says she and the thriller man have just lately began texting.

Kotb shared the replace throughout her Aug. 21 return to At this time with Jenna & Sheinelle, whereas instantly cautioning viewers to not learn an excessive amount of into it. “This isn’t an actual love connection,” she stated earlier than explaining how the story had unexpectedly continued.

The pair first met on a flight and later crossed paths once more when Kotb traveled to Cannes for work along with her Pleasure 101 firm. She initially thought the connection had light after that second encounter, however revealed Friday that they’ve since resumed contact.

When Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones pressed for particulars, Kotb confirmed that the person is single and described him as “actually cute” and “very good-looking.” She nonetheless refused to outline what the connection would possibly grow to be, saying, “There are connections. I don’t know what it’s.”

Their First Dialog Left Each of Them Crying

Kotb stated the unique encounter started just because she occurred to be seated beside the person on a flight, however their dialog grew to become rather more private than both apparently anticipated. “It was the weirdest connection on the planet. We had been each crying,” she recalled throughout her Aug. 21 look.

She described the dialog as a kind of uncommon moments when “every thing is firing on all cylinders.” The person appeared equally shocked by the depth of their change, repeatedly asking her, “Is that this a dream? Is that this actual?”

Kotb has by no means publicly recognized him or disclosed what they mentioned that produced such an emotional response. She additionally has not shared the place the flight was headed, maintaining the circumstances surrounding their first assembly largely personal.

Kotb First Instructed the Airplane Story in July

The thriller man first entered Kotb’s public story throughout a July 9 episode of her YouTube sequence Joy Ride with comic Michelle Buteau.

The 2 girls had been discussing courting and what Kotb values in a associate when she introduced up the surprising airplane dialog. Kotb stated she left the encounter “floating,” as a result of it reminded her of the type of emotional connection she desires in her life.

That dialog additionally supplied extra context about what issues to her when courting. Kotb recognized chivalry and emotional connection as necessary qualities whereas making clear that somebody’s wealth isn’t a precedence for her. She traced a few of her expectations round chivalry to watching her father carry out small gestures of take care of her mom whereas she was rising up.

Then the Identical Man Appeared in Cannes

The story grew to become significantly stranger after Kotb traveled to Cannes with Pleasure 101. “Our firm went to Cannes so we might discuss our firm, and he was within the viewers, randomly,” she instructed Bush Hager and Jones.

The 2 acknowledged one another and exchanged a short greeting, however Kotb stated nothing important instantly developed from the reunion. “He goes, ‘Hello,’ and I stated, ‘Hello.’ However then, all of it type of went away,” she recalled.

Jones in contrast the unlikely sequence to Notting Hill, the 1999 romantic comedy constructed round a sequence of encounters between two folks whose lives unexpectedly hold overlapping. Kotb then equipped the element that modified the story once more: “We’ve got texted just lately.”

Studying He Was Single Acquired Jenna Bush Hager’s Consideration

Bush Hager’s response modified noticeably as soon as she established that Kotb’s thriller traveler was accessible. After Kotb confirmed that the person is single, Bush Hager responded, “Let’s go!” Jones joined within the enthusiasm, whereas Kotb tried to maintain their hypothesis beneath management.

Kotb additionally confirmed that bodily attraction isn’t precisely an issue. She referred to as him “actually cute” earlier than agreeing that he’s “very good-looking.”

Kotb Is Approaching Courting Throughout a A lot Larger Life Reset

The dialog got here as Kotb mentioned how a lot of her life has modified since leaving her full-time function at At this time in January 2025 and launching Pleasure 101.

Now 62, she instructed Bush Hager and Jones that she feels as if she is studying once more in a number of elements of her life. “I’m simply making an attempt to get higher, not simply at residing, however at my firm and the way I’m navigating my life,” she stated.

Kotb has been single publicly because the finish of her engagement to Joel Schiffman. The previous couple started courting in 2013, grew to become engaged in 2019 and introduced their separation in January 2022 after eight years collectively. They proceed to co-parent daughters Haley and Hope.