Ali Wong is a stand-up comedian who’s best known for her popular Netflix comedy specials. You may also know her from her Netflix rom-com, Always Be My Maybe. As someone who’s received a lot of acclaim for her comedy about her pregnancy and children, Wong isn’t one to shy away from talking about her personal life. Jokes about her husband are no exception. But, who is Ali Wong’s husband?
Ali Wong And Justin Hakuta Have Been Married Since 2014
Wong’s husband, Justin Hakuta, is successful just like his famous wife. But, the pairs’ careers couldn’t be more different. According to his LinkedIn profile, Hakuta graduated from Harvard Business School and is currently the Vice President of Product at GoodRX. Wong and Hakuta met at a friend’s wedding reception and she was immediately interested in him. Still, the two took it slow and didn’t kiss until their fifth date.
By 2014, the two were ready to get married. At this time, Wong wasn’t anywhere close to reaching her current level of success. He, on the other hand, already had a lot of money. So, Hakuta’s family made sure Wong signed a prenuptial agreement before they tied the knot. Despite her jokes about now being her family’s primary breadwinner, Wong is grateful that she signed the prenup.
In her book, Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets and Advice for Living Your Best Life, Wong wrote, “I was very motivated to make my own money, because I signed a document specifically outlining how much I couldn’t depend on my husband. My father always praised ‘the gift of fear,’ and that prenup scared the shit out of me. In the end, being forced to sign that prenup was one of the greatest things that ever happened to me and my career.” The couple now has two daughters: Mari and Nikki.
Justin Is Incredibly Supportive Of Ali’s Comedy Career
When it comes to Wong and Hakuta’s careers, opposites definitely attract. But, even though their talents and occupations are very different, Hakuta loves his wife’s standup. Not everyone would be supportive of being the subject of much of their spouse’s standup comedy. But, Hakuta makes it clear that he’s his wife’s biggest fan. Wong told Ellen DeGeneres, “My husband mans the merch table after [my standup shows.] People think it’s a joke, but my husband, who graduated from Harvard Business School, really is in the lobby after the show slanging Ali Wong tote bags, shower curtains.”
And, Hakuta isn’t just on the sidelines at shows. He always pre-screens Wong’s jokes. She told Health Magazine, “I’ll let my husband veto stuff. It’s not so much about subject choice; it’s about word choice. So no topic is off-limits—it just depends on if I can make it funny.”
Since Wong likes letting her comedy dip into touchy and personal aspects of her life, like her marriage and her painful miscarriage, she always wants to be sure that her work doesn’t hurt her husband. In her interview with the New York Times, she explained, “He’s an Asian unicorn; there’s nobody like him… I have to run jokes by him or I lose my marriage,” she said. “That’s not worth a cool joke.”
Justin Makes Sure Ali Knows He Has Her Back
Whether he’s manning the merch table, caring for their children, or posting loving tributes on Instagram, Hakuta is nothing but supportive.
He also wrote the afterword for Wong’s book about their daughters, Dear Girls. In it, he addressed their daughters and explained how he made the decision to take time off of work to support their mother. He wrote, “When the Milk & Money tour launched I knew I couldn’t be a good husband, and father to you, and support your mother’s career if I was also working. And because we didn’t need the money, I chose to support our family by offering my time, care, and presence, forcing me to reconcile my prescribed gender roles, which wasn’t always easy.”
This couple puts in the work when it comes to making their marriage strong and healthy. Wong told Time, “I don’t see how, for us, we could not go to couple’s therapy within the first two years of having kids. For us it’s been really important, and for other people, if you don’t go to couple’s therapy I hope you have great communication skills.”
These two aren’t afraid to make sacrifices or tailor their different lives to fit each other. Wong may have written a movie called Always Be My Maybe, but it’s clear her husband will always be her “definitely.”