Hoda Kotb Swaps a Bag for a Plastic Container at Her Joy 101 Launch Party

Jun 04, 2025

Hoda Kotb has never been one to follow the crowd when it comes to accessorizing — and she isn’t starting now.

While Hoda hit the red carpet at her New York City launch party for her new wellness venture, Joy 101, she ditched a purse for a plastic container that held her phone and other miscellaneous items.

It wasn’t just any old plastic bin, though, but one that was adorned with a loving message by her oldest daughter: “Phone bin made by Haley the rockstar.”

The former TODAY anchor’s assistant, Sophia Ungaro, said that this isn’t the first time the “phone bin” has made an appearance — as a matter of fact, the container is a daily wellness habit for her.

“Ninety percent of her day, her phone is in the bin. She really only checks it if she knows that she’s getting a call. She’ll be able to hear that through,” Ungaro told TODAY.com at the launch event.

Hoda utilizes the phone bin so she can focus on what she needs to get done that day and push distractions to the wayside, Ungaro explained.

“She likes to have it in here because it helps her zero in on her inbox ... when she has her phone in her bin, she’s more focused. It’s more strategy-based, what she’s responding to and what she’s looking at,” she said.

However, Hoda doesn’t use the plastic bin for just work-related priorities, and her daugher Haley makes sure of that.

“(Haley) was like, ‘Mom? Why is your phone not in the bin.’ Like, it’s family time,” her assistant said.

Outside of her phone, Hoda uses the container to carry around anything from gummies to a phone charger — and a note from Haley and her youngest daughter, Hope.

“It’s very varied, but it’s always very based on what she needs for the day,” Ungaro said.

Hoda’s phone bin is the latest example of an unconventional accessory she’s brought to an event; she’s been spotted with other purse alternatives, like a Ziploc bag and camera case, at past functions.

Nicoletta Richardson is the trending editor for TODAY Digital and is based around the New York City area.