Hoda Kotb Fires Back at Jenna Bush Hager on ‘Today’ After Awkward Question About Wedding to Burzis Kanga

Hoda Kotb is not ruling out walking down the aisle again in the future — but the confession came out during an awkward segment on Today. The NBC host recalled a detail about her wedding to ex-husband Burzis Kanga after Jenna Bush Hager made a strange comment.

The comment was made during a conversation on Today With Hoda & Jenna on Wednesday, December 11, where they talked about the popular trend of micro-weddings. The term micro-wedding refers to a very intimate ceremony with 50 or less guests in attendance, per multiple outlets.

Hoda, 60, said that she would be down to have a micro-wedding in the future if she found a romantic partner. “When that day comes, probably a small [wedding], yeah,” she said when Jenna, 43, asked her what she thought of the trend.

The broadcaster said that she could see why people would not want to have lavish weddings and spend thousands of dollars for just one day.

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“They’re growing in popularity because I think people don’t want to spend a ton of money on the party and then afterwards and then the bills,” she remarked.

However, Hoda also acknowledged that people with large families would probably find it difficult only to invite a small number of people to their wedding.

“And also, I mean, if you look back think about who was at your first wedding,” Jenna trailed off awkwardly, to which Hoda hastily replied, “Why do you do that?”

“I’m sorry!” Jenna said, seemingly realizing she crossed the line. “Well, your only wedding! But when you think about it, weren’t there some people who you were like …” she trailed off again.

Hoda took the comment on the chin and said that her 2005 destination wedding to Burzis was somewhere in between. “It wasn’t small but it wasn’t huge,” she said.

She was married to Burzis for three years before their divorce in 2008. Hoda almost made it down the aisle again with Joel Schiffman, whom she got engaged to in November 2019. However, after postponing their wedding multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she announced their split during a January 2022 episode of Today.

“Joel and I have had a lot of prayerful and meaningful conversations over the holidays and we decided that we’re better as friends and parents than we are as an engaged couple, so we decided we are going to start this new year … on our new path as loving parents to our adorable, delightful children, and as friends,” she said, referring to their daughters, Haley and Hope.

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While her relationship with Joel didn’t pan out the way she hoped, Hoda is optimistic as she searches for Mr. Right ahead of her Today departure.

“She’s always going to put her daughters first, but finding a man to share her happiness is a huge priority as well — as she’s freely admitted, time after time, on the show and outside of work,” an insider told Closer in October.

Hoda’s schedule will certainly free up a bit once she marks her final Today episode on January 10, as she will no longer have to wake up before the sun rises.

“This new schedule will enable Hoda to get out there and breathe, relax, then hopefully connect with that special someone at long last,” the source added. “It’s her firm belief that if she’d stayed on Today this wouldn’t have been possible.”