Hoda Kotb and Thomas Rhett Connect on Welcoming Children via Adoption, Answering Their Questions

Thomas Rhett and Hoda Kotb, who have both adopted children, chatted about the process and parenting on the latest episode of Kotb's Making Space podcast

By

Jen Juneau

Published on April 4, 2022 10:57 AM

thomas rhett, hoda kotb — Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty

Thomas Rhett and Hoda Kotb have a lot in common.

The two are both parents to children they welcomed via adoption. Thomas Rhett and his wife Lauren Akins adopted the oldest of their four daughters, 6-year-old Willa Gray, while Kotb has two daughters she adopted at birth: Hope Catherine, 3 this month, and Haley Joy, 5.

Chatting with the country star on the most recent episode of her Making Space podcast, Kotb, 57, said her family tries to "make jokes about" their differences.

"But you want to preserve where they're from," the Today show anchor explained. "So they remember, because I feel like you don't know your identity, how are you going to live your life?You've got to figure out a way to navigate."

Thomas Rhett — who is also dad to daughters Lillie Carolina, 4 months, Lennon Love, 2, and Ada James, 4½ — echoed that Willa Gray "has questions all the time" about her roots.

"She's like, 'When can we get to see my friends in Uganda?' And then Ada James will be like, 'When can I go see our friends in Uganda?' And Willa Gray will be like, "Well, they're not your friends, they're my friends,' " shared the singer, 32.

The artist added that his eldest child sometimes has "really intense questions," and that he struggles with finding the right age to explain her adoption to her.

"Kids are funny, even about everything," Kotb said elsewhere in the conversation. "Like even Haley will hold my skin up to her skin [and ask], 'Am I darker than you, Mama? What about Hopey? Is she darker than me?' "

RELATED VIDEO: Hoda Kotb on Telling Daughters Haley and Hope About Their Adoption: "You Came from My Heart"

Last October, Kotb opened up to PEOPLE about potentially adopting again, sharing that her mindset is that "you just wait and see if it's meant to be for you."

"I feel like families come in so many different shapes and sizes and as long as there's lots of love, I think they'll endure," the star said at the time. "I'm just going to wait and see on that one."

As for Thomas Rhett, he said on Kotb's podcast that Akins, 32, has always "wanted to have five kids," and that they are considering adopting another child.

"So I told Lauren, 'Let's have five, but let's take a four-year deep breath,' " he told the host.