Hoda Kotb and Burzis Kanga: What Led to Their Split?

Hoda Kotb recently opened up about cautiously re-entering the dating scene, hoping to find someone special. But is she seeking another marriage?

Long before the TV anchor became widely known on “Today,” she was married to Burzis Kanga, a former tennis coach at the University of New Orleans.

Following a whirlwind romance, they tied the knot in 2005, only to divorce in 2008.

So, what happened between the couple, and why did their short-lived marriage end in a messy breakup?

Hoda was living and working in New Orleans when she met Burzis on Valentine’s Day at an American Heart Association fundraiser. She was an anchor for a local television station at the time.

They walked down the aisle in Punta Cana, and Hoda was initially thrilled to have found “the one,” telling “Living New Orleans”: “Oh, my gosh! I am a married, honest woman, finally!”

Married life became more challenging when Burzis, who considered himself a New Orleans boy, lost his apartment to Hurricane Katrina and moved to New York to be with Hoda, whose career was on the rise.

She confessed to the outlet that it was “hard” for Burzis to acclimate to the city but still insisted married life was “great.”

When Burzis reflected on the move during an interview with RadarOnline, ten years after their split, he acknowledged that he wasn’t happy in the Big Apple: “I was not used to the big city, I guess. New York can be overwhelming. I’ve lived in New Orleans for 30 years now. This is my home.”

In February 2007, Hoda filed for divorce from Burzis. This was the same month she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

He explained to RadarOnline: “We had some differences. My father was ill. She was ill. It was a difficult time. Those were personal reasons for both of us.”

“The divorce happened under difficult conditions. Those were personal reasons for both of us. In hindsight, there was a level of immaturity on my part, mistakes I made. It was unfortunate we were married for a short time. It’s a shame it transpired that way.”

Burzis added: “I will always cherish our memories. She is the epitome of class. I think the world of her. We had great memories together.”

Hoda later found love with Joel Schiffman, whom she began dating in 2013. They went on to adopt their daughters, Haley, seven, and Hope, four, together and got engaged in 2019.

But at the start of 2022, Hoda revealed during an episode of “Today” that they had decided to split.

At the time, she told her co-host Jenna Bush Hager: “Joel and I have had a lot of prayerful and really meaningful conversations over the holidays, and we decided that we’re better as friends and parents than we are as an engaged couple.”

She added: “So, we decided that we are going to start this new year and begin it kind of on our new path as loving parents to our adorable, delightful children, and as friends.”