Ali Wong Shares Sweet Story of How Bill Hader Pursued Her Amid Her Divorce
Written by Rtradio on May 15, 2024
Ali Wong is opening up about her personal life, discussing her divorce from Justin Hakuta and the start of her romance with comedian Bill Hader.
The 42-year-old Beef star performed a series of sold-out shows at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, and on Sunday night, Hader joined her on stage at the end of her set.
Prior to the Saturday Night Live and Barry star’s cameo, Wong talked about her post-divorce dating life, per Rolling Stone, saying she has “never been pursued this much in my life.”
She then went on to explain how Hader first reached out to her, without initially naming him.
“I get a phone call from this guy who I met at a dinner party in the past, and he got my number from a mutual friend,” she shared. “He was like, ‘Hey, I just happened to hear the news about your divorce, and I’ve had a crush on you forever. I actually told my best friend years ago that you were my dream girl, and I know it sounds crazy, but I want you to be my girlfriend.'”
Wong claims that she turned Hader down because she’d just signed up for a $25 dating app and wanted to “get my money’s worth.”
She said that after leaving for a Europe trip, Hader sent flowers to every hotel where she stayed, which her girlfriends thought was sweet while her male friends found alarming.
“That’s how cheap and lazy men have become. When a fellow man commits any act of kindness, any romantic gesture, it must be a symptom of an undiagnosed mental illness,” Wong quipped.
At the end of the show, Hader came out to the cheering crowd, revealing himself to be the man Wong told the story about and declaring, “All I have to say is, Ali Wong is off the market.”
Back in January, Wong opened up to ET about kissing Hader at the Golden Globe Awards before she thanked her ex Hakuta in her acceptance speech.
Wong told the crowd while accepting her award for her role in Beef, “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.”
Speaking with ET about the message of gratitude, Wong explained, “Yeah that’s right, I like to keep it peaceful and grateful and amicable.”
Wong and Hakuta — who tied the knot in 2014 — separated in April 2022, and she officially filed for divorce in December 2023 citing “irreconcilable differences.”
Wong and Hader confirmed last year that they were once again dating, after a brief split, and it appears their adorable romance is still going strong.
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