Ali Wong Revealed That Media Coverage of Her Divorce Was a Weird Asset to Her Dating Life

Any relationship in the public eye is a minefield because the media is watching every move a couple makes. For Ali Wong, her April 2022 divorce announcement from husband Justin Hakuta set off a chain of events that led to her dating life with boyfriend Bill Hader.

The 42-year-old comedian revealed the details of her split to a packed audience on Mother’s Day at Los Angeles’ Wiltern Theatre for Netflix Is a Joke Fest, via Rolling Stone. Feeling “really embarrassed and ashamed” about her breakup, Wong was shocked at the reaction. “I didn’t expect the news of my divorce to be so widespread and public,” she admitted while sharing that a surprising event happened immediately after the announcement. “I didn’t realize that all of these media outlets were acting like a bat signal letting all potentially interested men know,” she said. “I’ve never been pursued this much in my life.”

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During her separation from Hakuta, her goal was not to jump into another relationship, she had what she described as “just got out of prison energy.” Yes, Wong was looking “to get d••ked down” and she even joined a dating app to get the ball rolling. But men were coming out of the woodwork without the need for technology — one acquaintance she had met at a dinner party reached out and he was eager to take her out on a date. “‘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,‘” she recalled. That’s a lot of emotions to process in just a few sentences!

Wong didn’t go on a date with him right away because she traveled to Europe on vacation where flowers from him greeted her at each hotel she stayed in. Her girlfriends swooned at his romantic overtures while her male friends thought he sounded like a stalker. “That’s how cheap and lazy men have become,” Wong continued. “When a fellow man commits any act of kindness, any romantic gesture, it must be a symptom of an undiagnosed mental illness.” If you’re thinking this story has a creepy ending, it doesn’t. Hader was the man who set the ball in motion and made sure Wong knew how much he was interested in dating her.

“I never thought I would have this much fun at this stage in my life. Divorce is so fun,” she joked. “I just want to get married again, just so I could get divorced again.” Hader even joined her onstage at the end of her act on Sunday, and he warned everyone in the audience that he’s protective of his woman. “All I have to say is, Ali Wong is off the market,” he said. Wong might have the best celebrity dating-after-divorce story yet — the tabloids helped win her a date.

Before you go, click here to learn more about celebrities who’ve opened up about dating after divorce.

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