Jamie Lee Curtis Brings Hoda Kotb to Tears with Sweet Note Before “Today” Anchor's Exit: 'We Are All Going to Miss You'

"You are a beautiful human being and this show is better for you being on it," the actress told Kotb

• Jamie Lee Curtis appeared on Today where she expressed her grief about Hoda Kotb's departure from the show
• "Say it ain't so, Hoda. I can't deal with it. I just can't deal with it," said Curtis, 66. "I just can't believe this is the last time I'm going to be here with you"
• Reading a letter Curtis wrote for her, Kotb shared, "It says, 'Hoda. The long and winding road. Where you go, my hand in yours. Bravo' "

Jamie Lee Curtis sat down with Hoda Kotb on the Thursday, Dec. 12 episode of the Today show to promote her roles in the new Prime comedyThe Sticky as well as the upcoming film, The Last Showgirl.

But before Kotb could get out a single question, the Oscar-winning actress took over the interview to express her own grief about Kotb's exit from the NBC morning news show.

"Say it ain't so, Hoda. I can't deal with it. I just can't deal with it," said Curtis, 66. "I just can't believe this is the last time I'm going to be here with you."

"It's appropriate we're wearing purple," Curtis added, noting the color's deeper representation. "Purple is a wound, so I have a wound today with you. We are both wearing purple."

Curtis, who has made her love for Kotb and the Today show clear during her visits there over the years, went on to say that she had conflicted feelings when Kotb announced she would be leaving the program.

"I'm a little sad, and yet I love you," Curtis explained. "I heard you on the phone with your daughters this morning, as I've heard you on the phone every time I come here at 7:22 a.m., you FaceTime your children. You are an absolute treasure and we are all going to miss you here. I can't imagine this place without you. So that's what I needed to say."

Kotb, 60, was speechless, wiping back tears and holding her hands over her heart. "First of all, thank you from the bottom of my heart," she said, before holding up a letter Curtis wrote her. "And thank you for the note that you gave me."

The note was sent to Kotb's house back in September when the Today co-anchor announced her exit but never arrived — perhaps due to Kotb's move to the suburbs.

Looking at it, Kotb began to cry again. "Can you read it?" she asked Curtis. "Read it."

The Everything, Everywhere All at Once star then held up the note. "It says, 'Hoda. The long and winding road. Where you go, my hand in yours. Bravo,' " she shared.

That, seemingly, pushed Kotb over the edge. "Okay, let's talk about you," she said, as she wiped even more tears from her face. "Oh, why!" Curtis protested. "I talk about me all day long. All I do is talk about me!"

But Kotb won out, launching into a discussion about Curtis' projects, including the upcoming Freaky Friday sequel. Towards the end of the interview, however, Curtis brought it back to Kotb.

"I want to say thank you," she told the mother of two. "You have truly changed this place, this house, this group of people that love you. You are going off for all the right reasons, and you're going to take all of us with you. And whatever you do, do know that you have this family with you."

"You are a beautiful human being, and this show is better for you being on it," Curtis continued. "God bless you. Happy holidays, everyone. We're going to miss this one!"

Once again, Kotb was a mess of emotions — so much so that Curtis took over the plugs for her own projects. "Here, I'll; do it! The Sticky is on Prime now and The Last Showgirl opens on Friday in Los Angeles and on [Jan. 10] in the world or whatever," she said, before tossing the segment to meteorologist Dylan Dreyer.

Today airs weekdays (beginning at 7 a.m. ET) on NBC. Friday, Jan. 10, 2025 marks Kotb's last day as co-anchor.