Hoda Kotb Says She's Texting the 'Very Handsome' Man She Met on a Plane, but Won't Call It Romance Yet

Marija MrakovicSat, August 22, 2026 at 2:30 PM UTC

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Image Credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.

Hoda Kotb's unusually emotional encounter with a stranger on an airplane did not end when the flight landed. The former Today anchor now says she and the mystery man have recently started texting.

Kotb shared the update during her Aug. 21 return to Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, while immediately cautioning viewers not to read too much into it. “This is not a real love connection,” she said before explaining how the story had unexpectedly continued.

The pair first met on a flight and later crossed paths again when Kotb traveled to Cannes for work with her Joy 101 company. She initially thought the connection had faded after that second encounter, but revealed Friday that they have since resumed contact.

When Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones pressed for details, Kotb confirmed that the man is single and described him as “really cute” and “very handsome.” She still refused to define what the connection might become, saying, “There are connections. I don't know what it is.”

Their First Conversation Left Both of Them Crying

Kotb said the original encounter began simply because she happened to be seated beside the man on a flight, but their conversation became much more personal than either apparently expected. “It was the weirdest connection in the world. We were both crying,” she recalled during her Aug. 21 appearance.

She described the conversation as one of those rare moments when “everything is firing on all cylinders.” The man seemed equally surprised by the intensity of their exchange, repeatedly asking her, “Is this a dream? Is this real?”

Kotb has never publicly identified him or disclosed what they discussed that produced such an emotional reaction. She also has not shared where the flight was headed, keeping the circumstances surrounding their first meeting largely private.

Kotb First Told the Airplane Story in July

The mystery man first entered Kotb's public story during a July 9 episode of her YouTube series Joy Ride with comedian Michelle Buteau.

The two women were discussing dating and what Kotb values in a partner when she brought up the unexpected airplane conversation. Kotb said she left the encounter “floating,” because it reminded her of the kind of emotional connection she wants in her life.

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That conversation also provided more context about what matters to her when dating. Kotb identified chivalry and emotional connection as important qualities while making clear that someone's wealth is not a priority for her. She traced some of her expectations around chivalry to watching her father perform small gestures of care for her mother while she was growing up.

Then the Same Man Appeared in Cannes

The story became considerably stranger after Kotb traveled to Cannes with Joy 101. “Our company went to Cannes so we could talk about our company, and he was in the audience, randomly,” she told Bush Hager and Jones.

The two recognized each other and exchanged a brief greeting, but Kotb said nothing significant immediately developed from the reunion. “He goes, ‘Hi,’ and I said, ‘Hi.’ But then, it all kind of went away,” she recalled.

Jones compared the unlikely sequence to Notting Hill, the 1999 romantic comedy built around a series of encounters between two people whose lives unexpectedly keep overlapping. Kotb then supplied the detail that changed the story again: “We have texted recently.”

Learning He Was Single Got Jenna Bush Hager's Attention

Bush Hager's reaction changed noticeably once she established that Kotb's mystery traveler was available. After Kotb confirmed that the man is single, Bush Hager responded, “Let's go!” Jones joined in the enthusiasm, while Kotb tried to keep their speculation under control.

Kotb also confirmed that physical attraction is not exactly a problem. She called him “really cute” before agreeing that he is “very handsome.”

Kotb Is Approaching Dating During a Much Bigger Life Reset

The conversation came as Kotb discussed how much of her life has changed since leaving her full-time role at Today in January 2025 and launching Joy 101.

Now 62, she told Bush Hager and Jones that she feels as though she is learning again in several parts of her life. “I'm just trying to get better, not just at living, but at my company and how I'm navigating my life,” she said.

Kotb has been single publicly since the end of her engagement to Joel Schiffman. The former couple began dating in 2013, became engaged in 2019 and announced their separation in January 2022 after eight years together. They continue to co-parent daughters Haley and Hope.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”