Hoda Kotb, a 59-year-old Today Show host, fulfilled a dream at the 2024 Paris Olympics by meeting actor Tom Cruise, 62. She shared a selfie of the two standing in the rain, with Kotb wearing a poncho that exposes only a circle of her face and Cruise in all black with wet hair. Her colleagues at the Today Show praised the iconic photo in the comments, noting how special the moment was.
Kotb’s encounter with Cruise while wearing a rain poncho prompted some playful teasing from her co-host, Jenna Bush Hager, who joked about whether she dreamt of meeting Cruise while wearing a poncho. Fans also praised Kotb for looking beautiful even while donning a rain poncho. Kotb is part of NBC’s team covering the 2024 Paris Olympics, which take place from July 26 to August 11. Her daughters, Haley, 7, and Hope, 4, will not be joining her for the event, but she recently shared a picture of them with her mother, showing the tight bond between them.
To stay connected to her daughters while she is away, Kotb revealed that she plans to make a “Love You Loops” paper chain for her kids. Each day, she will hide a small item like stickers or hair ties in a loop, so her daughters know how many days are left until she returns. Hager joked that Kotb’s paper chain would be long due to the Olympics lasting over two weeks. Kotb shares her daughters with her ex-fiancé, Joel Schiffman, whom she adopted Haley and Hope with in 2017 and 2019 respectively, before ending their eight-year relationship in 2022.
Kotb’s encounter with Tom Cruise at the 2024 Paris Olympics was a dream come true for her, as she had always wanted to meet the Mission Impossible star. The selfie she shared of the two standing in the rain quickly gained attention from fans and her Today Show colleagues, who praised the iconic photo. Despite her daughters not being able to join her for the Olympics, Kotb shared a heartwarming picture of them with her mother, showcasing the strong bond within their family.
Through the “Love You Loops” paper chain, Kotb plans to stay connected to her daughters while she is away covering the Paris Olympics. By hiding small items in each loop, she hopes to create a countdown that will help her daughters understand how many days are left until she returns. Despite the length of the Olympics, Hager humorously commented on the length of Kotb’s paper chain, emphasizing the importance of staying connected with loved ones even during periods of separation.
