Bill Hader and Ali Wong are the “it” couple of the comedy world right now, though both of them are just recently divorced. Between the two of them, they have just about every angle of comedy covered, including stand-up, sketches, improv, sitcoms and blockbuster films. Here’s a look at their story and everything we know about their relationship so far.
Hader is best known for his work on Saturday Night Live, where he was a main cast member from 2005 to 2019, though more recently he starred in the hit HBO series Barry. As for Wong, she has been working in the same circles as Hader for years through sitcoms and sketch comedy, though she is best known for her stand-up comedy specials on Netflix in recent years. Last year, Wong starred in the acclaimed Netflix original series Beef. Beef and Barry put Wong and Hader together at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night, where some fans learned of their romance for the first time.
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Wong is known for getting very personal in her stand-up specials, particularly about her marriage and her family. She and entrepreneur Justin Hakuta began dating in 2010 and had two daughters together – Wong was even pregnant during one stand-up special. That meant fans were shocked when Wong announced her divorce last year. While some are vicariously heartbroken, others are rooting for her and Hader. Here’s a look at how it all played out.
Hader’s Love Life
Hader is a relatively private person when he’s off camera, but at least some of his dating history is public knowledge. In 2006, he married writer and director Maggie Carey. They met through a mutual friend and went on to have three daughters together. In 2017, Hader and Carey separated. Their divorce was relatively quick by celebrity standards and didn’t lead to much drama in the headlines. Carey continues to work with many of Hader’s close colleagues to this day, so it seems safe to assume they are on good terms.
Wong’s Marriage
Wong and Hakuta met at the wedding of a mutual friend in 2010 and began dating then. As Wong explained in some of her stand-up material, Hakuta was a Fulbright Scholar and a student at Harvard Business School at the time. Hakuta’s father, Ken Hakuta, is an inventor known for creating some popular toys, and for appearing on reality TV in the late 1980s.
Wong and Hakuta married in 2014 and had two daughters during their years together. Wong’s bawdy jokes about their dynamic were some of the most beloved jokes in her stand-up specials, while behind the scenes Hakuta took a hand in Wong’s business dealings and became her touring manager.
Divorce
Wong’s 2022 special Don Wong included some surprising jokes about her dissatisfaction with her marriage. Shortly after it was released, she and Hakuta separated. The vulnerable jokes about their stale relationship made many fans feel bad for Wong and Hakuta, but in truth, their breakup was pretty amicable as well.
Wong and Hakuta remain good friends and colleagues to this day – Hakuta even continues to function as Wong’s touring manager. Wong didn’t even formally file for divorce until December of 2023, so it’s not clear how things will move forward legally or what their custody arrangement will be.
Rachel Bilson
Hader made headlines for a couple of celebrity dates between his divorce and his relationship with Wong, starting with actress Rachel Bilson. The two seemed relatively serious since they attended the 77th Golden Globe Awards together as a couple – though admittedly they had also co-starred in The To Do List that year. In July of 2020, they broke up.
His brief relationship with Bilson piqued fan’s interest in Hader’s love life, especially after Bilson got graphic on her podcast Broad Ideas. During an episode in August of 2022, she was asked what she missed most about Hader, and she responded bluntly: “His big d-.”
Anna Kendrick
Hader also dated actress Anna Kendrick briefly from the end of 2020 to early 2021. Details on this dalliance are scarce, but the duo definitely broke up by 2022. That means there are still several months in the timeline for Hader to find himself between romances before he struck something up with Wong.
First Date
Reports that Hader and Wong were dating first cropped up in the spring of 2022. At the time, a source told Us Weekly that the two were keeping to themselves too see how the relationship unfolded. The tryst reportedly fizzled out that summer, but that break did not last long.
Rekindling
Hader revealed that he and Wong were back together on Monday, April 17 2023 in an interview with Collider. He said: “My girlfriend and I were just figuring out that I haven’t had a vacation in 10 years. I went with her to San Francisco, but that doesn’t really count. So, I’m going to have a vacation. I need to go into sponge mode, where I’m watching stuff and reading.”
It didn’t take long for other outlets to find sources who said that Hader’s girlfriend was Wong, and that the two were going for it once again. The two stars haven’t offered any additional comments yet, but many fans are in their corner.
2024 Golden Globes
That brings us to this weekend when Hader and Wong attended the Golden Globes together as a couple. When Wong won the award for “best performance by a female actor in a limited series,” she paused to kiss Hader before getting up to give her acceptance speech. However, once on stage she actually thanked her ex, Hakuta.
“I really need to thank the father of my children and my best friend Justin for all of your love and support. It’s because of you that I’m able to be a working mother,” she said.
