Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager have reacted to Ina Garten’s admission that she briefly separated from her husband, Jeffrey Garten, in the 1970s.
Kotb, 60, recently made a sit-down interview with Ina, 76, who recalled telling her husband of 10 years at the time that she needed to “be alone for a while,” to which Jeffrey, 77, agreed.
“I felt like I said the right thing, but it was really scary because I said it to someone I loved deeply,” Ina, who details the split in her upcoming memoir, “Be Ready When the Luck Happens,” shared with Kotb.
In Wednesday’s “Today with Hoda and Jenna” Kotb and Bush Hager, 42, praised the Food Network star for putting herself first in their marriage.
“It seems like the root of what happened was that he was used to a traditional wifely role, and she was starting to build her own business,” Kotb said. “She was pouring all of her effort into the business and he was expecting the same thing she had before, which was, ‘Dinner’s here, I’ll take care of the house,’ and all of those things.”
Kotb continued: “I think listening to her reminded me that when a couple grows, you have to let the other person grow, too. You hear people say, ‘You’re not the girl I married.’ Well, the girl you married is different.”
“They reintroduced themselves to each other and now they have this beautiful and solid love story.”
Bush Hager added: “That shows honesty, being completely transparent with yourself and with others, even if it’s really scary. I’m sure part of her wanted him to say, ‘No, we need to figure this out. You don’t need to cook. ’ But he said, ‘Okay. ’”
He former first daughter He also said that Ina recognized his “value” when he decided to separate from Jeffrey for a while.
“She knew she wanted something bigger than having dinner ready at five,” Bush Hager said. “She was willing to stand up for herself and maybe lose him to make her dreams come true. Now look at her. And them.”
Kotb told her co-host that she asked Ina why the first chapter of her memoir (out Oct. 1) is about Jeffrey, rather than his childhood.
The cook, Kotb said, told her: “My life began with Jeffrey.”
Ina and Jeffrey have been married since 1968.
In a recent interview with PeopleIna explained that the couple’s unique separation was caused because Ina felt dissatisfied with her “role” in her marriage.
The “Barefoot Contessa” host said Jeffrey, now a Yale professor, “was hoping for a wife who would cook dinner.” But as his career was thriving, their dynamic changed and Ina decided to ask Jeffrey if they could take some time apart.
“I thought about it a lot and, at my worst, I wondered if the only solution was to get a divorce,” she wrote in her book. “I loved Jeffrey and I didn’t want to shock or hurt him, so I would start by suggesting that we take a break and separate.”
“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I told her I needed to be alone. I didn’t tell her if it was for now… or forever,” Ina added.
The celebrity chef said that after seeing a therapist and spending some time together, she and Jeffrey were able to happily reconcile.
