With the announcement of Representative Cori Bush’s recent wedding, we at The Root look back at some other surprisingly secret Black celebrity nuptials.
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Cori Bush & Cortney Merritts
Missouri Representative Cori Bush announced in February 2023 her secret wedding to her former security guard, Cortney Merritts, happened in February 2022. She keeps her husband’s face covered on her social media.
Anika Noni Rose & Jason Dirden
Actors Anika Noni Rose and Jason Dirden shocked the world in January 2023 by announcing their private wedding that took place in October 2022. The two never announced their relationship before marriage, hence the surprise for their fans.
Niecy Nash & Jessica Betts
Niecy Nash and Jessica Betts were married surrounded by their close family and friends at their home on August 29, 2020. Nash’s wedding post on Instagram practically broke the internet given that her fans didn’t know she was marrying a woman.
Jordin Sparks & Dana Isaiah
In July 2017, American Idol and Dancing with the Stars’ Jordin Sparks and model Dana Isaiah eloped in front of friends in Hawaii.
Issa Rae & Louis Diame
Actress, producer, and writer Issa Rae revealed she married businessman Louis Dame in July 2021. The private ceremony was held in the south of France.
Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet
Although the couple is no longer together as of March 2022, Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet were secretly married in Topanga, California in October 2017, despite calling each other husband and wife long before the official ceremony.
Kerry Washington & Nnamdi Asomugha
Actress Kerry Washington and former NFL player Nnamdi Asomugha flew out a few family and friends to Idaho for their intimate ceremony in July 2013. The couple continues to be private, rarely making appearances with each other in public.
Jay-Z and Beyoncé
Powerhouse couple Jay-Z and Beyoncé secretly tied the knot in front of only 40 friends and family in Jay-Z’s penthouse on April 4, 2008.
Uzo Aduba & Robert Sweeting
Actress Uzo Adubo revealed in September 2021, nearly one year after her wedding, that she got married to filmmaker Robert Sweeting during the pandemic in 2020. The couple had an intimate ceremony in New York City.
Cardi B & Offset
Rappers Cardi B and Offset announced in 2018 that their secret, at-home wedding took place in September 2017. Cardi wore a white tracksuit and the only witness of the vows was her cousin.
Anthony Mackie & Sheletta Chapital
Anthony Mackie secretly married his childhood sweetheart Sheletta Chapital in December 2014 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in the Dominican Republic. Unfortunately, the couple split in 2018.
Zoe Saldana & Marco Perego
Zoe Saldana and Marco Perego met and began dating around April 2013 and were married only months later in the summer of the same year in a small, secret ceremony. The couple now has three children together.
Candace Parker & Anna Petrakova
WNBA star Candace Parker took to Instagram in December 2021 to annouce that she was married to and expecting a baby with Anna Petrakova who is a former Russian women’s basketball player.
Don Cheadle & Bridgid Coulter
After 28 years of dating, Don Cheadle and Brigid Coulter got married in their backyard with only their dogs and two children as witnesses during the pandemic in 2020.
Ludacris & Eudoxie Mbouguiengue
Ludacris and his longtime girlfriend Eudoxie Mbouguiengue were engaged and married on the same day, December 26, 2014. The musician proposed to Mbouguiengue on a private jet and then flew home to have a small ceremony later that day.
Kanye West & Bianca Censori
Less than one month after finalizing his divorce from Kim Kardashian, Kanye West allegedly got married in January 2023 to Bianca Censori, an achitectural designer for Yeezy.
Tyrese & Samantha
Tyrese Gibson took to Instagram to announce his secret Valentine’s Day wedding ceremony with Samantha Lee in 2017. Sadly, the couple announced they were divorcing in December of 2020.
Jon Batiste & Suleika Jaouad
Grammy Award-winning musician Jon Batiste married author Suleika Jaouad in February 2022 after Jaouad was diagnosed with leukemia a second time. They were married surrounded by family in their new home.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson & Lauren Hashian
Even though Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson referred to Lauren Hashian as his wife long before marriage, the couple tied the knot on August 18, 2019 after about 12 years of dating in an intimate ceremony in Hawaii.
Symone Sanders & Shawn Townsend
MSNBC host Symone Sanders married Shawn Townsend in July 2022 in a surprise ceremony; the 100 guests didn’t know they were gathered for a wedding!
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