Sandra Bullock was moved to tears when Hoda Kotb credited her for changing the course of her life by inspiring her to adopt.
Kotb, who has two daughters, told Bullock on the Today show podcast Making Space that she was inspired to adopt when she saw a news report in 2010 that the Gravity star had adopted her son, Louis, that year.
The TV anchor, 61, said she had missed the window to have children when Bullock’s story gave her hope.
“10 years ago, I was upset, I was 51 and I realized I had missed the window to have children and I felt terrible about it,” she explained.
“I came home, turned on the TV and one of those shows had mentioned that Sandra Bullock had adopted a baby from New Orleans named Louis,” Kotb explained to Bullock and her Practical Magic 2 co-star Nicole Kidman.
“I had literally Googled, ‘How old is Sandra Bullock,’ and I went, ‘She’s my exact age.’ I burst out into tears.”
Kotb said she called Bullock and said: “I have to ask you a question: ‘Tell me what it’s like.’”
“You said, ‘Louis is in the backyard singing happy birthday because he thinks he’s getting cake when he sings happy birthday and he’s peeing and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done in my life,” said Kotb.
“I was 51, I filled out the paperwork, I got the call. I sent Sandy a text from the plane that said, ‘I’m on the way.’”
Speaking to Kidman about Bullock, Kotb said: “She changed the course of my life. I now have a nine-year-old and a seven-year-old solely because of that moment. And I often think….”
Before Kotb could continue, Bullock became emotional and stopped the host from going any further. “That’s not gonna happen, I’m not gonna do this,” Bullock said with tears in her eyes.
Kotb continued: “I have such extreme gratitude because now, I’ve got a kid going to fourth grade and a kid going to second grade.”
Kidman then praised Bullock, saying: “That is Sandy. You call her up, and you go, ‘Is there something? Tell me this…’ and she will tell you in a minute. And that’s deeply personal... that’s sisterhood.”
Bullock said that “when you’re fulfilled by your choices, you don’t want to hide them, you don’t want to gatekeep. You want to share them. When someone is happy in their life, they don’t mock and judge others. I’m so happy with what I have.”
Kotb recalled another piece of advice she received from the actor that spurred her on to adopt: “You don’t have to live in the box.”
“Families come in a million different ways,” said Kotb. “We all have these very interesting families that come in very different ways and they’re all beautiful in that way.”
Bullock added: “It’s easy to limit ourselves in our wants and our desires. It’s so easy with how loud it is out there. I do it daily. And I have to remind myself, ‘Stop it, it’s going to be amazing.’ That’s my new thing.”
Kotb is the mother of two girls, Haley Joy, born in 2017, and Hope Catherine, born in 2019.
Bullock is the mother of Louis Bardo, 16, and Laila, 12.
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