Who Is Jay Ellis' Wife? All About Nina Senicar

Jay Ellis and Nina Senicar first met in 2015 and later married in 2022. They are currently expecting their second child together

Jay Ellis and his wife Nina Senicar are expecting their second baby!

Fans fell for the actor after his performance as Lawrence Walker, Issa Dee's (Issa Rae) on-again, off-again boyfriend in the HBO series Insecure. Throughout the show — which aired its final season in 2021 — Lawrence's love life was the definition of messy, but in real life, Ellis' relationship with Senicar is far less complicated.

After meeting in 2015 and dating for five years, the Top Gun: Maverick star popped the question to Senicar in Bali in January 2019, according to Vogue. The couple began planning their nuptials shortly after, but their wedding date changed not once but twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After postponing their big day, the engaged couple welcomed their first daughter, Nora Grace, in November 2019. They later tied the knot in Italy on July 9, 2022. Now, they are expecting their second child together.

Recalling their wedding day, Senicar told Vogue, "We just really wanted everybody to have a good time and get to know each other. And most importantly, dance."

So, who is Ellis' wife? Here's everything to know about Nina Senicar and her relationship with the actor.

She's an actress, model and advocate

Senicar was born and raised in Serbia, where she grew up horseback riding and was a competitive show jumper. When she was 18, she moved to Italy to attend the University of Bocconi in Milan. While in Italy, Senicar started her career as an actress, appearing in several Italian television shows.

She continued acting after moving to Los Angeles in 2011, and later appeared in 2017's Papillon alongside Rami Malek and Charlie Hunnam. Senicar then starred in Arctic Justice: Thunder Squad as the voice of Countdown Inka alongside castmates Alec Baldwin, James Franco, Heidi Klum and Jeremy Renner. In 2022, she played Vera in Deadline, a miniseries that aired on U.K.'s Channel 5 network.

Senicar is also a model and has appeared on the cover of magazines such as Grazia Serbia and Cosmopolitan Serbia. Most recently, she graced the November 2023 cover of Harper's BAZAAR Serbia.

When she's not on set or at a photoshoot, Senicar dedicates her time to humanitarian organizations, including amfAR and International Medical Corps.

After losing her mother to cervical cancer, she also founded a campaign called Ja Brinem o sebi to raise awareness about the disease. The campaign reaches out to gynecologists in Serbia to offer free examinations for women and is focused on spreading information about the importance of prevention.

She and Ellis met in 2015

Ellis and Senicar first met at a bar in L.A. in 2015 after they were introduced by a mutual friend (who would later go on to officiate the couple's wedding). On Oct. 30, 2015, the pair made their social media debut after Senicar reposted a snap of the two from an amfAR fundraiser.

Despite going Instagram official, Ellis and Senicar kept most of the details about their romance private during the early stages. In 2017, Ellis spoke about his relationship without revealing Senicar's name during an appearance on The Breakfast Club. "I am in a relationship. I'm in a very happy relationship, and that's where I leave it. I don't really worry about anything else, and that's it," he said.

She and Ellis are currently expecting their second child together

Senicar and Ellis welcomed their first child together, a baby girl named Nora Grace, on Nov. 11, 2019, the same day Senicar turned 34.

The actress celebrated the news with a snap of Ellis and herself cradling their newborn's feet with the caption, "And just like that our lives got a whole new meaning. Welcome Nora Grace Ellis ♥️ 8.11.2019."

Ellis shared the same sweet photo with a simple caption — a blue heart.

Since bringing their daughter into the world, Senicar has shared several sweet moments from their family life with fans, including photos of Nora "texting and driving" in her pink electric Jeep, wearing matching Christmas pajamas with her mom and attending her first movie premiere for Sonic: The Hedgehog 2. On Nora's second birthday, Ellis posted photos celebrating her day with the caption, "Today is a reminder that we haven't slept in two years!"

In March 2024, Senicar announced that she and Ellis were expecting their second child together.

"And just like that… Baby Nr. 2 loading! 🤯🤎," Senicar wrote in the caption of her post which showed off her growing bump.

She's the author of a children's book

On May 3, 2022, Senicar's first children's book, A Star Called Slavica, was published. The picture book, written in Serbian, tells the story of three girls who find motivation and confidence through a star.

Alongside an Instagram photo of her holding a copy of her book, Sinclair wrote, "Finally holding my book! No, I'm not crying... 🤍"

She is Ellis' biggest supporter

Even though Senicar and Ellis are both pursuing their individual careers and passion projects, they still find time to support each other.

On May 27, 2022, Senicar shared a series of snaps from the Top Gun: Maverick screening in San Diego, California.

"Top Gun is out today, make sure you go see it! These guys did an amazing job, obviously Payback is my favorite 😎#topgun #topgunmaverick," she captioned the post.

Ellis commented, "You da best 💙"

She and Ellis got married in Italy in July 2022

After multiple postponements, the couple finally exchanged vows in front of family and friends at Villa Mangiacane in Tuscany on July 9, 2022. "We always knew we wanted to get married in Italy because going there was the first trip we ever took together," Senicar explained to Vogue. The nuptials — which Ellis described as "the craziest three-day party ever" — were attended by several of the actor's previous castmates, including Glen Powell, Rae and Yvonne Orji.

Both Senicar and Ellis wore custom Dolce and Gabbana looks, while their daughter Nora looked adorable in a white flower girl dress. After the ceremony, the couple kicked off the party by having their guests take a shot of the Serbian drink Rakija.

"We come from two completely different sides of the world, different cultures, and backgrounds, and it was magical to see how all of that got mixed together in such a beautiful and spontaneous way with the people we love the most," Senicar told the publication.

Ellis celebrated the pair's marriage on Instagram a week after their wedding with a sweet photo from their day.

"July 9th, 2022… Per sempre 💙," he captioned a snap of him and Senicar using the Italian phrase that means forever.

While the couple got to enjoy their destination wedding, Ellis told PEOPLE on Feb. 25, 2023, that he and Senicar haven't yet had a honeymoon. However, they may still plan a belated getaway.

"I've not gone on a honeymoon," The Top Gun: Maverick star said at the Producers Guild Awards. "I was actually going to go to Peru in December, and then Peru had some issues. So that didn't work out. I probably could have been stranded on Machu Picchu actually. But that didn't happen. So grateful for that, I was working anyway. But no, we haven't had a chance to do it yet."

She and Ellis have walked many red carpets together

Senicar and Ellis attended the Academy Museum Gala in October 2022. The Serbian actress wowed in a red Alberta Ferretti gown, while the Insecure star looked handsome in a white tuxedo jacket and black pants by Brunello Cucinelli.

"Last night was a dream. Thank you for having us @theacademy," Senicar captioned a series of images on Instagram.

In January 2023, the couple attended the Golden Globes together. Senicar dazzled in a velvet maroon dress by Dolce & Gabbana, and Ellis looked dapper in a black velvet Louis Vuitton tuxedo.

The actor and his Top Gun: Maverick co-star Powell presented the award for best actress in a TV drama series.

Over a year later in March 2024, the couple attended the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party where Senicar showed off her growing bump in a floor-length black strapless Mach & Mach gown featuring ties down the front.

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