HODA’S BABY DAD GETS HEAVE-HO
Kathie Lee comforts Today show sidekick
CARING Kathie Lee Gifford has rushed to comfort heartbroken pal Hoda Kotb following the crash of the Today show star’s nineyear love-in with fiancé Joel Schiffman.
While the former morning show tag team haven’t always seen eye to eye since Kathie Lee, 68, quit NBC and moved to Nashville, Hoda, 57, knows she’s there when needed — and that’s NOW, spies dish.
“Kathie Lee has provided Hoda a shoulder to cry on and she’s grateful,” tattles an insider.
Signs all was not well between Hoda and New York moneyman Joel, 63, appeared last month when the TV talker was spied without the
$250,000 diamond and blue sapphire engagement ring the Janus Group boss had specially made for her.
Since Hoda and Joel first hooked up in 2013, they’ve adopted daughters Haley, 4, and Hope, 2.
Hoda mentioned last summer plans to adopt a third child, but their romance went belly-up over the year-end holidays.
“Hoda and Joe’s relationship has been hanging by a thread for a while, but it was still a shock things ended,” spills an insider.
“Hoda is trying to save face by saying it was a mutual decision, but privately she is heartbroken and a little humiliated.”
Sources believe Hoda was partly to blame by repeatedly postponing their wedding.
Hoda’s reluctance to set a firm date was creating lots of tension at home and Joel was getting ticked off,” the insider says.
“Even Kathie Lee felt Hoda was dragging it out,” says a spy. “Kathie Lee isn’t going to make any judgments, she’s just going to console her friend and be there when she needs a good cry.”