- Former Today show star Hoda Kotb celebrated her 61st birthday on August 9.
- The TV host's friend and former co-anchor Kathie Lee Gifford wrote a heartfelt Instagram message for her.
- Kathie also shared August 9 marked 10 years since her husband Frank Gifford's death at age 85 from natural causes.
It's not often we see former Today star Kathie Lee Gifford discuss Hoda Kotb on social media. But on the latter's special day, it only made sense for Kathie to make a statement about her lifelong friend!
On August 9, fans witnessed as Hoda marked her 61st birthday. Amid celebrating the moment with her loved ones, Kathie also wanted to acknowledge Hoda's personal milestone. But as Kathie posted a photo of her and Hoda together on Instagram, it turned out a birthday wasn't the only emotional occasion Kathie was reflecting on that day.
As Kathie noted in her caption, August 9 also marked the 10th anniversary of her husband Frank Gifford's death, who died from natural causes at age 85. Having been married for almost three decades and sharing son Cody and daughter Cassidy, Kathie made sure to let people know just now much she missed her husband, too.
"Today is a day for rejoicing!" she wrote. "First of all, I rejoice for my precious friend, Hoda Mama, on the occasion of her Birthday. She is one of the most spectacular people I have ever known and I adore her and I want all her dreams to come true."
"The second thing that I rejoice about, is that my precious husband, Frank, went home to Jesus 10 years ago today and he has been at peace and filled with joy and glory since that very day," she also added. "I find comfort in that. So, I’m rejoicing in the Lord and how He cares for His loved ones, for His children. Bless all of you today. And I hope you can find the same kind of Shalom in your lives."
When fans saw the emotional messages Kathie wrote for Hoda and for Frank, people took to the comments to share their thoughts.
"Precious!! Xoxo," one person wrote in the comments. "What a great tribute to sweet Hoda, Frank and God‘s peace that surpasses all understanding 🙌🏼🤍," another agreed. "Happy Birthday to Hoda! God bless her! I can’t believe it’s already 10 years for Frank! You’re a true light and inspiration, @kathielgifford!" a different follower added.
As fans know, Hoda and Kathie's time on the Today show saw them host the famed fourth hour from 2008 until Kathie's exit in 2019. The two continued to stay friends since then, and Kathie even surprised Hoda on the latter's last day on the NBC series back in January.
We so love this friendship!
As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
