Wanda Sykes celebrates 18 years with wife Alex: ‘Remember why you got married’
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Wanda Sykes has shared the simple rule she says has helped keep her marriage to her wife, Alex, strong ahead of their 18th wedding anniversary.
In an interview with People at the US Open on 10 September, the comedian said: “Just remember why you got married in the first place and that you’re both on the same team. I think that’s it, yeah.”
Sykes, 62, attended the tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and walked the event’s blue carpet alongside Alex.
The couple got married in a private Las Vegas ceremony on 25 October 2008, two years after meeting on a ferry to New York’s Fire Island. A few weeks later, on 15 November, Sykes publicly came out as lesbian at a rally against the now-overturned Proposition 8, a ban on same-sex marriage that had passed in California days earlier.
Reflecting on that period in 2015, she said on The Meredith Vieira Show: “It just came out, you know, because I just got married and so instead of speaking as a supporter, I was speaking as one of the, I guess, victims.”
Parenting lessons from their twins
Wanda and Alex welcomed twins Olivia and Lucas on 27 April 2009. Speaking about raising their now 17-year-olds, Sykes said: “The biggest lesson that they have taught me? Patience and meeting people where they’re at.”
She added: “Yeah, it’s like my expectations, but they’re here and just watching them grow and just letting them be kids.”
Wanda Sykes’ long-running queer visibility
Sykes is a stand-up comedian and actor known for sharp political and social commentary. She broke through as a writer on The Chris Rock Show and later created and starred in Wanda at Large, alongside prominent roles across US television and comedy specials.
A visible LGBTQ+ public figure, she has spoken about marriage equality and queer representation in mainstream media, including when she thanked God and the trans community while accepting a Golden Globe in January.
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