Hoda Kotb is down to her final weeks on Today and is preparing to finally bid the morning show farewell. After her exit, she has many plans, but could walking the aisle be one of them?

On the Dec. 11 episode of Today With Hoda & Jenna, the 60-year-old divorced show anchor set the record straight if she’s open to tying the knot for a second time: “Would you like to have a small wedding or a large wedding one day?” Jenna Bush Hager, 43, asked her co-host. Without skipping a beat, Kotb responded, “When that day comes, probably a small [wedding].”

Bush Hager raised the question while they were discussing the rising trend of “micro weddings” or intimate matrimonial ceremonies with less than 30 guests. So hearing Kotb’s response, Bush Hager couldn’t help but remind the retiring anchor that she should invite her as well: “Don’t forget about me. Don’t move on to your health and wellness and invite all your gurus and forget about me,” Bush Hager said.

According to Us Weekly, Kotb’s preference for simple weddings has remained unchanged since she tied the knot with her ex-husband, Burzis Kanga, in 2005: “I did a destination wedding. It wasn’t small, but it wasn’t huge,” she said in the recent episode.

Details about her first wedding are scarce, but Closer Weekly disclosed that it happened in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Kotb and Kanga divorced three years later, and the TV personality went on to date Joel Schiffman in 2013. However, they did not make their relationship public until 2015.

Kotb looked like she was ready to settle down with Schiffman since the two even adopted two daughters, Haley, 7, and Hope 5, in 2017 and 2019, respectively. They also got engaged in November 2019. However, in February 2022, Kotb announced on her morning show that they had decided to call it quits after eight years.

“Joel and I have had a lot of prayerful and meaningful conversations over the holidays, and we decided that we are better as friends and parents than we are as an engaged couple,” she said at the time. She then insisted that they would move forward without animosity because they broke up amicably.

In November of that same year, Kotb told Us Weekly that they were prioritizing co-parenting their daughters. “The ultimate goal is when your girls are happy. That’s what we both say, ‘Happy girls, that’s all we want.’ And that’s what we have,’” she said.

Kotb’s recent revelation comes after she announced this past September that she’s departing the Today show early next year. “I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new,” she said at the time.

Replacing her as news anchor and third-hour co-host is Craig Melvin, who Savannah Guthrie described as “talented, wonderful, [and] hard-working” when she welcomed him to the anchor chair in November.

Melvin will officially Guthrie as co-anchor starting Jan. 13, three days after Kotb’s final appearance as host.As Kotb officially starts with a clean slate next year, there’s time for her to find love again. Her ission confirms that she hasn’t closed the doors to her heart yet, and she’s willing to walk the aisle again with the right person.

Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie are not only good friends, but engaging and amicable TODAY co-anchors. But ever since Kotb announced she is leaving, viewers have been curious about which new co-host they will watch while sipping their all-important morning coffee.

Kotb announced on the episode that aired in the early hours of Nov. 14, 2024 “we’re so excited that our friend Craig Melvin will be taking over the 7:00 next to Savannah. He will be doing the 7:00 and 8:00.”

Kotb explained, “He’s deserving of this” and said, “I’m so happy for this guy.” She called Melvin “a good human being.” We all need more people who are described that way! Kotb continued that for Melvin, “the crowd” is “his happy place,” so it’s a perfect fit.

According to Variety, Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager host the 10 AM hour of TODAY together, but several people will fill in instead of one new co-host. Melvin is currently a 9 AM co-host, so he’ll be getting up even earlier in order to be there at 7 and 8 AM.

Melvin not only began his journalistic journey at TODAY in 2018, but from 2011 to 2014, he was a weekend anchor on MSNBC Live. He has also been an anchor on Dateline Present and co-anchor of Weekend Today.

He has grown close to many others at TODAY, and told People that he’s good friends with Al Roker. Melvin called Roker “the first one to welcome me with open arms.” A source explained that “the whole staff loves him” “and “everybody on the set cheered” when finding out he was going to be in Kotb’s shoes. NBC News Daily anchor Vicky Nguyen posted the news on her Instagram , and called it “a universal feeling that a good guy won.” She added that he makes sit a point to learn the names of people he works with, which is just one reason why she adores him.

As it turns out, Melvin got the new job a few weeks before the announcement, but it was a secret until this morning. Hotb said in an interview with The New York Times that she said “Let’s go Mets” to him when they wanted to refer to his new gig, as no one else knew what was going on. She explained, “He looked like a kid on Christmas, getting what he wanted.”

Kotb shared she knew it was time to go because she wants to be with her kids, seven-year-old Haley and five-year-old Hope. It’s sad news for fans, but also speaks to the work/life balance conversations that she and co-host Guthrie have had when interviewed over the years. When she said she was leaving, Kotb explained of her daughters, “they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie that I have. I feel like we only have a finite amount of time.”

Kotb seems to be enjoying and embracing this new phase of her life. This morning, she talked about being thrilled to have a minivan when co-hosting Today with Hoda & Jenna. Viewers can definitely mourn no longer watching her awesome and optimistic energy every a.m. while welcoming Melvin and being excited to see him on the show.

Kotb’s final day as TODAY co-anchor is Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. Let’s tune in… and grab an extra special drink (maybe a vanilla latte or similarly fancy beverage) in her honor.

The ever-popular TODAY has long been a revolving door of bizarre segments and co-anchors, but for years, there’s been one constant in the form of Hoda Kotb.

The beloved presenter and journalist, who first ed TODAY back in 2007, has long steered the ship of the series, outstaying her former longtime co-host Kathie Lee Gifford and having since shared the desk with Jenna Bush Hager for five years. 

Alongside this years-long role, Kotb has enjoyed stints at CBS News and Dateline, though she had consistently remained a permanent fixture at NBC as the host of the fourth hour of TODAY. Kotb is basically a part of the furniture at this point, which makes her departure from the long-time interactive show all the more upsetting for lifelong fans.

So, why is Hoda Kotb leaving the Today show?

After rumors of her departure continued to grow within the pop culture bubble, the long-time NBC host recently announced that she will officially exit TODAY next year. Her decision to leave the show is largely in part to wanting to spend more time with her two daughters, Haley, 7, and Hope, 5. This decision is undoubtedly upsetting for NBC fanatics who have long adored and ed Kotb, but her choice to be a present mother to her children is certainly to be ired.

While addressing the situation during a recent birthday celebration, Kotb insisted that she realized it was time to take up a next chapter in her life after receiving so much love and from fans over the years. “I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new, Kotb said in an interview, insisting that she has already reached the top of the mountain and knew things couldn’t possibly get any better.

Despite the disappointing window into her current thought process, Kotb has reported that she will remain as a host on the NBC show for the remainder of this year and into early next year, although she simultaneously revealed that will be staying at NBC in a smaller, undisclosed role. Following her announcement, and words of kindness have poured in from friends, fans, peers, and family from all over, proving that Kotb was as beloved as any host could ever possibly be.

So while it’s incredibly bittersweet news for those who’ve grown to love Kotb as a staple on TODAY, and while Geist tries his darndest, he can never capture that loveable Kotb magic. That being said, she has lent plenty of happy memories to long-time viewers, and all we can now wish for is that Kotb enjoys her days at home being as beloved of a mother as she was as a host.

Like the familiar faces on soap operas or warm voices on a favorite radio show, TODAY co-hosts are cozy parts of many people’s mornings. It would be awful if Hoda Kotb left the show, especially since she and Savannah Guthrie chat like BFFs in every episode. Many never want to see this lovely dream team go anywhere.

While viewers know Guthrie well thanks to the fact that she has been a co-host since 2012, there have been several moments when they’ve wondered where she is. Is she still ing Kotb onscreen?

Why wasn’t Savannah Guthrie on TODAY?

There have been several times when Guthrie didn’t co-host TODAY, which made fans worry she was leaving or that something terrible happened. Viewers will when Al Roker took two months off because of his health. Good news for viewers (and an inspiring reminder in general): Guthrie sometimes takes time away from the show so she can hang out with her family and relax.

When fans were concerned that she didn’t co-host the episode on June 20th, 2024, Kotb said Guthrie was “taking some well-deserved time off,” according to NBC.com. Guthrie did the same thing back in April when she exited before an episode wrapped up. As Us Weekly reported, Kotb said, “Savannah left a little early today to get her weekend started.”

Hosting a morning show is no easy feat and requires a lot of discipline. It’s nice to hear that Guthrie makes room in her schedule for some chill time. Of course, since she’s a mom of two kids named Charley and Vale, sometimes another anchor takes her place on TODAY so she can be there for her little ones. In September 2023, The New York Post reported that she only hosted part of an episode because she brought her kids to their first day back at school.

Considering Guthrie takes care of herself and knows when she needs to take a break from TODAY, it’s no wonder she has talked about juggling the various parts of her life. She shared with Refinery 29 that her day starts at 3:00a.m. and she’s at work at 5:30a.m. (which might make that 9:00a.m. start time for regular jobs feel a little more pleasant). In an interview with E! News in 2018, she said she’s uncertain “balance really exists.” While she’s at work a lot more than usual sometimes, she said, “There are times where it’s a little bit lighter and it’s all about family.”

Even though she works a lot (and TODAY fans wouldn’t want it any other way), Guthrie makes sure to find some time for travel. In February 2024, Us Weekly reported that Guthrie and co-host Jenna Bush Hager went to Florida with their kids. And, according to TODAY, when Guthrie was reporting on the 2024 Olympics in Paris, she told her children they could her. Can any parent compete with that?!

Kristen Welker has carved a remarkable niche for herself in the competitive realm of news broadcasting.

Her career began shortly after her graduation from Harvard University in 1998, starting at small stations before she ed NBC in 2005 at their in Philadelphia, her hometown. Welker’s dedication and skill quickly propelled her to the national stage, and by 2011, she was at the White House, covering the most significant political stories of our time. Additionally, she co-anchors the weekend edition of TODAY alongside Peter Alexander, bringing her journalistic expertise to a wider audience. Most recently, she replaced Cuck Todd on Meet The Press.

In 2020, she made history by becoming the second Black woman to moderate a presidential debate solo, following in the footsteps of Carole Simpson. Her performance during the final presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden was widely praised for her ability to maintain order and keep the candidates on topic.

Beyond her professional life, Kristen Welker is married to John Hughes, a marketing executive. The couple wed in March 2017. However, she has openly shared her struggles with infertility, a journey that has resonated with many of her viewers and fans.

In June 2021, Kristen and her husband welcomed their first child, Margot, via surrogacy. This is a joyful milestone that she has described as profoundly life-changing.

“We had setbacks — there was more heartbreak — there were days when I asked myself, ‘Why is this so hard for us? But we kept pushing forward. We did lose another embryo in this process, and we had to deal with the loss of that and the setback and wondering again, was this going to work for us">Kristen Welker told Today

As of the latest, Kristen just welcomed her second child, and it’s a boy! The news broke out on the Meet the Press show, where her colleague Peter Alexander shared that Kristen and John had their baby through another surrogate on May 30, and they have named him John Zachary Welker Hughes. Despite these tough times, the couple didn’t give up. They pushed through the heartache because they really wanted to grow their family. And now, with the arrival of baby John Zachary, their persistence has finally paid off.

What’s really heartwarming is how Kristen talks about the surrogates who helped bring her children into the world. Both the surrogates have formed a special bond with the Welker-Hughes family, and Kristen shares that the two surrogates have reached out to each other and now all stay in . Huge congratulations to Kristen, John, and their growing “little family”!

Kathie Lee Gifford gave us a swathe of memorable moments throughout her 11-year run as a co-host of TODAY alongside Hoda Kotb.

From wacky dance moves to multiple costume changes and on-air plastic surgery segments, Gifford’s antics on TODAY were outlandish enough to spawn a hilarious SNL impersonation from Kristen Wiig, and keep fans interested in her personal life beyond her time on the show. 

Fans might already know that Gifford was once married to New York Giants halfback Frank Gifford, until his ing in 2015. The pair had two children, and Kathie was previously married to music composer Paul Johnson.

Since those years, the beloved television host has been open about reentering the dating scene, so who exactly is Kathie Lee Gifford’s new partner? 

Who is Kathie Lee Gifford’s new partner?

As of May 2024, Kathie Lee Gifford is newly single. The former TODAY host revealed her recently single status during a recent interview with PEOPLE, saying that the prior relationship she was in “for a few years” had “ended recently.” Gifford said the demise of the relationship had inspired a “new mantra” in which “my joy is non-negotiable,” before reflecting on the lessons she’d learned from the relationship.

“It’s always hard because when you love someone, you love someone deeply,” Gifford said. “It’s something you miss when it doesn’t last.” The TV host said that the former boyfriend was one of three true loves she’s had in her life, and itted that while breakups are difficult to overcome, she is now aware that “you aren’t supposed to marry everyone you fall in love with.” As for the identity of her former partner, Gifford has consistently remained tight-lipped about the relationship since first mentioning it in 2021.

She refused to reveal who the mystery man was, saying simply that she had “a great man” in her life. When asked in an interview for an update on her relationship status, Gifford said that keeping her partner under wraps allows the romance to “stay special.” The presenter has elsewhere said that if she ever were to get married again, the world wouldn’t find out about it until much later. 

While she never mentioned his name on the record, Gifford was spotted on multiple occasions with Richard Spitz throughout 2022 and 2023. The pair were often seen during outings in Spitz’s hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. Spitz is a businessman who oversees Strong Force Innovation Portfolios, a company that designs and develops intellectual property portfolios. Spitz obtained his Master’s degree from NYU School of Law and is a California State University, Northridge graduate.

Reports emerged in February, 2024, that Gifford was upset with Kotb for outing her relationship status on TODAY, during a segment in which Kotb suggested Gifford would be a great candidate for The Golden Bachelorette. 

Despite being a family-friendly morning show, Today has had its fair share of eyebrow-raising moments. From always hilarious news bloopers to some truly cringe-inducing celebrity interviews (anyone the Brie Larson chair debacle?), co-host Hoda Kotb has overseen just about every awkward on-set moment you could imagine.

For a presenter who once co-hosted Today with Kathy Lee Gifford — and was promptly spoofed with multiple Saturday Night Live skits — you’d think Kotb had seen it all. Then, a celebrity like Kelly Rowland comes along and throws yet another spanner in the works, all while Kotb is presumably just trying to enjoy her morning coffee. So what exactly happened between Kotb and Rowland on Today, and what does a green room have to do with it?

What happened between Kelly Rowland and Hoda Kotb on the Today show?

Kelly Rowland appeared on the Today show on February 15, for an interview segment during the earlier portion of Thursday’s broadcast. Afterwards, the singer — who was on the show to promote her new Tyler Perry-directed Netflix movie Mea Culpa — was slated to fill in for Kotb’s co-host, Jenna Bush, for the final hour of the show. 

Then, in what will be ed as the Great Dressing Room Debacle of ‘24, Rowland abruptly left the Today show set before she was supposed to fill in for Bush. It has been reported that the former Destiny’s Child member was dissatisfied with her dressing room, and had asked to use the upstairs green room instead. 

After being told that Jennifer Lopez — who was promoting her own movie, This Is Me…Now — was occupying the green room, Rowland stormed out of the Today studio, leaving Kotb co-hostless at the eleventh hour (soap operatic stuff). Thankfully, Rita Ora was on set during the debacle, and agreed to fill in for Bush at the last minute. 

“We had two minutes to prepare,” Ora wrote of her impromptu hosting gig on Instagram. “Love to everyone that tuned in.” While Rowland herself hasn’t directly addressed the fiasco — which likely has Ryan Murphy drafting his next season of Feud — she did appear days later on Sherri Shepherd’s show, and thanked the host for bringing “positive energy.” 

Kotb herself addressed the incident on the February 21 broadcast of Today. The host said she has “great love and iration” for Rowland, and promised the singer that she is welcome to return to Today, or share Kotb’s dressing room, “any time”. Somewhere out there, Ryan Murphy is conceiving the next installment of his sprawling universe. 

Plastic is back on the menu as Mean Girls makes its return to the big screen.

The film’s creator and Ms Norbury actor Tina Fey has been on the promotion circuit, adding to the already huge amount of hype that’s accompanied the run up to the much anticipated film’s release. While she’s keeping tightlipped about things like guest cameos and plot differences between the new “refreshed” version and the Millennial cultural touchstone that was the original, Fey has been happy to give us some personal details during her interviews. And, as it turns out, some of these give us a fair amount of information about how she came to craft the 2004 hit movie.

In a recent interview on the Today show, Fey briefly discussed her own high school experiences, as well as her feelings about the release, and the Broadway musical that’s been a smash hit everywhere it’s been produced. Check out our summary below if you want to know what Tina Fey was like in high school, and which Mean Girls character she most identifies with (hint: it’s not Karen).

What was Tina Fey like in high school?

This probably won’t be a shock to anybody, but Fey referred to herself as “a kind of theatre geek…absolute dork.” She also called herself a “good student,” which is clear to see for anyone who has laughed at her trademark smart, biting comedy, which made Mean Girls the hit it is.

The producers flashed a picture of Fey at her prom, at which point the star made a joke at the expense of her…questionable teen fashion sense. She also clarified that while she’d taken a picture with her brother in the dress, she hadn’t actually taken him to the dance, which would have made her almost too much of a stereotype.

Which Mean Girls character does Tina Fey most identify with?

Fey was pretty unequivocal when asked which character from the movie she was most liked, immediately stating that she identified with Janis. It wasn’t just the character’s positive attributes that Fey shared, as she confirmed when she added:

“I do think I talked a lot of smack about people…I thought that I was like, the victim in every situation, and really i was a monster.”

Then again, that sounds like the majority of teenagers in existence, so we won’t judge her too harshly for it.

Janis was originally played by Lizzy Caplan, and in the 2024 movie the role will be taken on by Auli’i Cravalho.

What else did we learn in the Today interview?

Although it was only brief, the Today interview covered a lot of topics. The comedian, actor, and writer spoke about how she and her team had “so much fun on the Broadway musical,” and revealed that the inspiration for the 2024 movie came to her during the pandemic. After the musical shut down, she became certain that she “wanted more people to see what we had made,” and began putting her plans into action.

Additionally, the star confirmed that the new film wasn’t a musical production filmed for the big screen, but more a film with musical interludes, describing the numbers as being done with “music video style shooting.”

Fey also discussed how some elements of the original didn’t quite hold up so well under a more modern microscope, itting that: “20 years go past and you think ‘Oh I wish maybe we hadn’t said that.” (Take note, every male comic who believes that people not finding them funny is a product of cancel culture, instead of them simply being unfunny).

To make sure the script was suitably refreshed in other ways, Fey itted that she sought the opinion of her teen daughter and her high school friends. They confirmed that the infamous Burn Book should still be a physical copy instead of something digital, and were also apparently instrumental in the casting of Christopher Briney as heartthrob Aaron.

Fey teased that there would be “wonderful surprises” for fans of the 2004 film, hinting at cameo appearances for some of the original cast. Was a recent Black Friday ad that reunited three of the original four plastics a sign of more to come?

The interview ended with Fey insisting that she wouldn’t be replacing Lorne “Stalin” Michaels at the head of SNL, despite the interviewers pushing her on it. For now, though, she can just bask in the glory of the return of Glen Coco.

In the media blitz surrounding Zac Efron‘s new movie The Iron Claw, the High School Musical star appeared on Today wearing shades. It wasn’t a fashion faux pas on Efron’s part. As the actor explained, he had a good for wearing the eye accessory indoors on the show.

On Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023, Efron sat alongside his The Iron Claw co-stars in the Today segment — Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, and Stanley Simons — and pointed out, “I feel weird being in shades.”

As wrestler Kevin Von Erich in A24’s The Iron Claw, Efron’s bulked-up physical transformation for the part already made headlines. Could that have something to do with it?

Efron had an eye infection

Zac Efron decided to wear sunglasses on Today not as a method-acting technique, nor as a sign of diva behavior. Today host Craig Melvin suggested as much when he said, “Zac Efron is a legitimate bonafide Hollywood superstar but that is not the reason he is in shades right now.”

In response, The Iron Claw actor explained:

“No, I’m sorry man … I just have a bit of an eye infection. But I really wanted to be here. It’s such a good movie, and I want to come see you guys and tell everyone about it.”

Efron, however, didn’t disclose the exact nature of the infection.

In theaters Dec. 22, 2023, The Iron Claw covers the Von Erich brothers, pro-wrestlers in the `80s who experienced their fair share of triumph and tragedy. Efron’s performance in the film has already built Oscar buzz.

Get well soon, Zac.

Carson Daly is a mainstay on US television screens, having occupied the airwaves as a television host, producer and radio personality since as early as 1993. Daly is perhaps best known for his long-running stint as a video jockey on MTV’s Total Request Live, host of NBC’s The Voice, and the Feature Anchor for Today. 

Daly is also a high-profile Hollywood producer, with credits on The Voice — for which he’s won four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program — and his own late-night talk show Last Call with Carson Daly. Daly has also appeared in a few screen roles, including on My Name Is Earl and Joe Dirt. 

With such a consistent presence on screen, audiences would be remiss not to ask: what is Carson Daly’s net worth? The answer is truly eye-watering. 

What is Carson Daly’s net worth?

Carson Daly has an estimated net worth of $40 million as of 2023. Much of that is derived from his work as a host and producer across multiple NBC programs. Daly’s hosting duties on The Voice earn him an annual salary of $5 million, a figure he also gets for his work as a Feature Anchor on the Today show.

That’s an annual salary of $10 million from his NBC programs alone, without ing for the various side-gigs he hosts throughout the year, which include the network’s annual New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly.   

While salary details around Daly’s work on radio remain unknown, we do know that he earned $1 million upfront to host his own show Carson Daly’s Most Requested, which ran from 2001 to 2006, plus half the show’s profits. In his first year on Most Requested, Daly made $2 million. The additional extent of his radio earnings — as well as those from his producer credits — is unknown, but the remainder of Daly’s net worth is mostly derived from real estate.

Daly reportedly owns two homes, one of which is located in Long Island, New York and was purchased in 2013 for $6.5 million. On top of that investment — which has almost certainly appreciated in value over the years — Daly owns a second property in Santa Monica, California. That property encomes two side-by-side houses, and Daly reportedly combined the ading backyards to create one large lawn and pool area. 

Daly’s two properties are estimated to be worth around $20 million combined, ing for much of his $50 million fortune. It’s these figures that point to Daly not only as the most popular television personality but also one of the richest, with his wealth showing no signs of slowing down.

Daly is currently hosting the 24th season of The Voice, which began airing in September of 2023.      

Love it or hate it, the HBO show The Idol is getting a lot of attention, and a lot of it is not good. On top of a nine percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes (the lowest ever for an HBO show), the show’s also mired in controversy over its misogynistic and lascivious content. Hank Azaria, who plays the long-suffering manager of Lily Rose-Depp’s Jocelyn, Chaim, recently spoke out on the issues in a TV interview.

Azaria appeared on the TODAY show and defended director Sam Levinson and his proclivities when filming. “Sam goes for it,” he said. “He points a stark truth lens at whatever scene he’s doing whether it’s professional, personal, about the business, about relationships, about sex.”

That’s what “we were doing” on that set, he said, and all of the actors were really excited about the collaborative vibes. One of the hosts then tells Azaria that TODAY reached out to Levinson for comment on the ongoing controversy surrounding the show and were told he wasn’t going to comment.

“No because they left me here to do it,” Azaria quipped. He referenced a Rolling Stone piece that referred to “the chaotic nature” of the set and said things were “haphazard and crazy.”

“That I can tell you is ridiculous.” He said it would be like walking onto a Larry David set where “brilliant folks are being encouraged to improvise” under a director’s caring eye with audibles being called and then saying “oh, the actors just don’t know their lines.”

Azaria said he understands how “certain people could feel that way,” and even itted he felt that way the first couple of days on set because a lot of changes were being made on the fly. Sometimes things were changed based on the “light we were shooting in” or “how the script was changing,” but he said it was “incredibly creative” and “wonderful. Really.”

The actor said he’s been in projects where you get new pages on scripts and they’re so disappointing and you wish changes weren’t made, but this was nothing like that. Allegations of safety issues are also false, he said.

The Idol airs Sundays on Max.

Robert De Niro and producer Jane Rosenthal made their annual visit to the Today Show this morning to promote the Tribeca Film Festival and, when asked about being a new father at 79-years old, De Niro chose the art of deflection and commented on Al Pacino instead.

Hoda Kotb conducted the interview and commented on De Niro and Rosenthal’s long-running partnership that has included Rosenthal producing nearly 20 of De Niro’s films.

Rosenthal, who is also the co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival, praised De Niro, saying, “Robert De Niro asked me to come and build something with him. Neither one of us knew where that was going to go. He always said ‘You can move back to L.A. if it doesn’t work out.’ 34 years later we’re still together.”

Hoda Kotb then took the time to congratulate De Niro on his newborn baby and followed it up by asking him, “How is fatherhood at this moment?”

De Niro, knowing she was referring to his age, said, “This stage and age?”

After lightening up the question, De Niro took to the art of deflection and said, “Listen, Al Pacino just had a baby.”

Just when you think De Niro was about to joke about Pacino having a newborn at 83-years old, he instead offered his blessings, saying, “He’s a few years older than me. God bless him. I’m very happy for him.”

Kotb asked him about how it feels being a new father to which De Niro answered, “It feels great.”

De Niro explained he feels more aware as a father today than he was decades ago thanks to experience, adding, “When you’re older, you have awareness of certain things in life.”

Kotb and producers then gave Robert De Niro a baby gift, which was a Today Show onesie. Robert De Niro looked at the camera and held up the onesie, and referred to his newborn — Gia Virginia — by saying, “Gia, this is for you, honey,” noting that she sleeps great.

The Tribeca Film Festival will be held this year form June 7-18 in it’s usual place in downtown Manhattan, specifically in the neighborhood known as, you guessed it, Tribeca.