Hoda Kotb and her BFF Karen Swensen are #friendgoals!
The TODAY co-anchor took to social media on Saturday to celebrate her bestie’s birthday.
“Happy bday to my bff!!!!” Hoda captioned an Instagram post that included a picture of Swensen as a kid. There’s also a picture of Swensen cuddling up with her daughter and Haley Joy. So cute!
“You just keep getting better,” Hoda continued. “So happy you chose me.”
The two journalists have known each other since 1994. They met while they were both working at WWL-TV, a CBS affiliate in New Orleans, where Hoda was an anchor and Swensen was a researcher. Swensen is now an anchor at the television station.
“There was something special about her,” Hoda reminisced about their first meeting on Kathie Lee and Hoda. “Karen is one of the kindest, most generous, most truthful real people I’ve ever met in my life.”
Hoda went on to say her friend has been there on some of her best days and some of her worst.
“She’s magic. She’s a once in a lifetime,” Hoda added.
And today is a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Swensen is celebrating her 50th birthday and Hoda couldn’t let the milestone go by without giving her bestie all the love.
On Twitter, she asked her followers to help her wish Swensen a happy birthday and they delivered. “Happy Birthday Karen, you are super special to Hoda, which makes you special to us,” one fan wrote.
It looks like Swensen is having a fabulous birthday so far. Hoda shared some photos from the party where the woman of honor posed with balloons by the fireplace and on a balcony. The snowy scene behind her is beautiful, although we bet it’s a little cold for a New Orleanian!
But regardless of the temperature, Swensen certainly looks happy. And who wouldn’t be when you’ve got Hoda as a bestie?
Happy birthday Karen!
