NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: ‘Today’ host Hoda Kotb is known for her openness and willingness to share aspects of her personal life with her fans and viewers. Despite facing challenging times, she has always maintained a positive and optimistic outlook, inspiring many with her resilience and courage. She has been vocal about her struggles with breast cancer in 2007 and used various platforms to inspire and uplift others facing similar challenges. While she’s currently single and a mother of two adopted girls, she has had it with her ex-husband Burzis Kanga.
Kotb and Kanga got married in 2005 but their marriage faced several challenges, ending with Kotb filing for divorce in 2007. It was revealed that Kotb was battling breast cancer at the time, which undoubtedly added to the difficulties in her personal life. While Kotb's motherhood bespoke her warm nature, Kanga has something shocking to blame for their divorce.
Who is Hoda Kotb’s ex-husband?
The ‘Today’ host married Kanga in 2005. In a June 2006 interview, she shared that Burzis was a ‘New Orleans boy’ who had lived in the city for 26 years before they met at a fundraiser for the American Heart Association. Kanga has been the head coach for the New Orleans Privateers tennis team for eighteen years. During his tenure, he has developed a team that is well-known for competing at a high level on the tennis court and achieving impressive academic goals. Kanga's coaching abilities have been recognized with several awards, including three consecutive Southland Coach of the Year awards for the men's team and one for the women's team. These accolades speak to his ability to lead and inspire his players to achieve their best performance. Kanga's expertise has had a positive impact on the individual achievements of his players as well. The Privateers have had seven all-conference singles selections and two doubles selections between both the men's and women's teams.
Beyond his coaching success, Kanga has a special connection to UNO as he was a member of the Privateer tennis program from 1980 to 1983. During his time as a player, he earned All-American honors, showcasing his own talent and dedication to the sport. Since returning to UNO as head coach in 2008, Kanga has been committed to rebuilding and strengthening both the men's and women's tennis programs. He has fostered a culture of excellence both on the court and in the classroom, helping his student-athletes succeed both athletically and academically.
‘The divorce happened under difficult conditions'
Kotb was married to Kanga for less than two years before she filed for divorce in February 2007. Kanga spoke exclusively to RadarOnline.com about the reasons behind their split. The couple met on Valentine's Day at an event for the American Heart Association in New Orleans. Their romance quickly blossomed, leading to a proposal in May 2005 and a wedding in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, in December of the same year. However, their marriage faced challenges, and Kotb filed for divorce on February 15, 2007, with the divorce being finalized on February 6, 2008. Kanga explained, “We had some differences." He continued, “My father was ill. She was ill. It was a difficult time. Those were personal reasons for both of us.” He added that the “divorce happened under difficult conditions.”
He further said, “Those were personal reasons for both of us. In hindsight, there was level of immaturity on my part, and mistakes I made. It was unfortunate we were married for a short time. It’s a shame it transpired that way.” The move from New Orleans to New York to be with Kotb also put a strain on their relationship, as Kanga admitted that the big city life was overwhelming for him, having lived in New Orleans for 30 years. He said, “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.”
While he was surprised by Kotb’s decision to file for divorce, Kanga had only kind words for his ex-wife. He said, “I will always cherish our memories. She is the epitome of class. I think the world of her. We had great memories together.”
