Hoda Kotb moved out of New York apartment before leaving “Today”

Just weeks before announcing her departure from “Today,” Hoda Kotb moved from her New York apartment to a suburban home with her two daughters.

The 60-year-old, who is the mother of adopted daughters Haley (7) and Hope (4), spoke about the move in the August 27 episode of “Today with Hoda and Jenna.”

“Everything is new – new kids, new school, new things, new everything,” she said. “And it’s weird because all I could think about was that I wanted a warm and cozy house for the kids and a place where they wanted to hang out. And that’s all.”

After announcing that her daughters now have their own rooms, Kotb said she was excited about the big change in her life.

“I love this whole reboot, the repotting, the beginning of something new. It feels really good,” she said.

Kotb was living in her New York apartment when she adopted Haley and Hope in 2017 and 2019, respectively. During this time, she was in a relationship with financier Joel Schiffman. They became engaged in November 2019, but Kotb announced their separation in January 2022.

On August 12, Kotb told People that she was preparing to move the following week. She said her move was delayed because she had to work at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

“I was in Paris and then just came back and took care of my birthday and other things, so that fell by the wayside. But we’re almost there!” said Kotb, who turned 60 on August 9.

She then explained the reason for her move from the city to the suburbs.

“I want my children to feel grass under their feet, play in the yard, ride their bikes down the street and run up and down the stairs,” she said. “I just envision them living in this perfect house in this beautiful little town where I know they can grow up to be beautiful, independent, strong women.”

Kotb also said that she is in a “repotting phase” of her life.

“This is the journey I’m on right now. And it’s going to hurt a little bit to leave this pot that’s been so comfortable for so long,” she said. “But in the end, it’s going to be exactly what we need.”

Kotb first spoke about her move in March on her podcast, Making Space. She told her guest, author Arthur Brooks, how often she moved as a child.

“It’s so funny because the stories I tell now as an adult are stories about how I endured it or what I did to cope,” Kotb said. “But at the same time, I feel like I want to protect my kids from things that they should be doing while preparing them for it.”

Kotb announced Thursday morning that she is leaving “Today.”

“I know I am making the right decision, but it is a painful decision. And all of you are the reason for it,” she wrote in a letter to Today staff.

She also personally shared the news with her co-hosts Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, Jenna Bush Hager, Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones.

“I spent 26 years at NBC,” she said. “I just turned 60 and that was such a monumental moment for me because I started reflecting on that decade. I realized that at 60, it was time for me to turn a new leaf and try something new,” Kotb said, adding that she wants to spend more time with her daughters Haley, 7, and Hope, 4.

Kotb clarified that she will remain on “Today” until early 2025, but will remain in the NBC family in an unspecified role.