Hoda Kotb, 62, has shared new details about a man she met on a flight earlier this year, including his profession and the profound impact a single image had on him.
Kotb recounted the encounter during a sit-down interview with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, which aired on Tuesday. She explained that she sat next to the man on a plane, and he began to share that he was experiencing a difficult period. Kotb described him as an "AI-guy," a profession where the median annual salary in the U.S. is approximately $177,000.
He reportedly told Kotb that he couldn't sleep after seeing an image of a child living in poverty in Africa. This prompted him to start sending money and aid to the region, leading him to question his life's purpose. Kotb stated that their conversation about his realization and desire to focus on charity became so intense that it left both of them in tears. He later expressed disbelief, asking if the experience was a dream.
Upon exiting the plane, they exchanged numbers. Kotb later saw him again when he was in the audience at a speech she was giving. She noted that they made eye contact, leading to questions about their connection. Kotb admitted she is still unsure about the nature of their bond but revealed the man splits his time between New York City and Miami.
Bullock, acting as a wingwoman during the interview, mouthed "Call Hoda" to the cameras and signaled with her hands as if making a phone call. Kotb, who split from her fiancé Joel Schiffman in 2022, stated, "I do believe in love."
Kotb and Schiffman, a financier, began dating in 2013 and adopted two daughters together. They announced their engagement in November 2019 but separated in January 2022. In her memoir, Kotb wrote that after attending a retreat, she experienced an epiphany and felt inauthentic in her relationship, leading to their breakup. She characterized the decision to end the relationship as "one of the best 10-second decisions" of her life.