Hoda Kotb admitted she had a painful \u201cepiphany\u201d that made her realize her long-term relationship with her ex-fianc\u00e9 Joel Schiffman was over.<\/p>\n
\u201cI loved Joel then, and I love Joel now,\u201d the TV personality told Today.com<\/a> in an interview published Tuesday.<\/p>\n \u201cI just had to remind myself that it was a different kind of love. You can still love and admire someone and not want to be in a relationship, a long-term relationship that way, personal relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoda Kotb got candid about the \u201cepiphany\u201d she had when she realized her and her ex-fianc\u00e9 Joel Schiffman\u2019s relationship was over. Patrick McMullan via Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cI loved Joel then, and I love Joel now,\u201d she told Today.com in an interview published Tuesday. Instagram\/joy101<\/p>\n \u201cIt just was an epiphany for me, and it took courage for me to say it,\u201d Kotb, 61, added. \u201cAnd when I did, I felt like, \u2018OK, there it is.’\u201d<\/p>\n Elsewhere in the interview, the retired \u201cToday\u201d show host revealed that she was a \u201cpretender\u201d in relationships and hinted that she drags them out longer than she should.<\/p>\n \u201cI am a total phony in my relationships,\u201d she said. \u201cI think sometimes you know that a relationship is \u2014 I would say good \u2014 but you think to yourself it\u2019s not deepening.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI just had to remind myself that it was a different kind of love,\u201d the TV personality added. Instagram<\/p>\n \u201cYou can still love and admire someone and not want to be in a relationship, a long-term relationship that way, personal relationship,\u201d Kotb explained. Instagram\/hodakotb<\/p>\n \u201cSo, you continue along on the relationship, and I think the truth of the matter is sometimes you have to say to yourself, like, I feel like I\u2019m an optimist,\u201d Kotb shared.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd so, when you\u2019re an optimist, you want to make things work, and sometimes, things don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n The TV personality, however, isn\u2019t in a rush to find another man, saying she\u2019s just \u201cwaiting to see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt just was an epiphany for me, and it took courage for me to say it,\u201d she added. FilmMagic<\/p>\n Kotb described herself as a \u201cpretender\u201d in relationships. Instagram\/hodakotb<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tWant more celebrity and pop culture news?\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with Page Six Daily.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \u201cI always tell my kids, \u2018Thoughts become things. So what you think about can be,’\u201d she explained. \u201cI\u2019m not running around saying, \u2018Set me up. Who\u2019s the guy? What\u2019s the app?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut I do know that in this season, that\u2019s coming \u2014 where and how, I\u2019m not clear yet,\u201d Kotb continued, adding that she\u2019s waiting for her \u201csoul connection\u201d and has \u201cno doubt\u201d that there is a person out there for her.<\/p>\n