Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet's Love Story Started With Guinness and Grits

From Oprah Magazine

If it's not clear enough already, we here at OprahMag.com love a great celebrity romance. And one of the most enduring? Jason Momoa and his wife Lisa Bonet.

The Aquaman star and the Cosby Show alum, have been together for over 14 years. But it turns out Momoa, 41, and Bonet, 53, were destined to meet decades before they saw each other in-person—but we'll get to that later. The couple is relatively private, but they've given us enough tidbits over the years to put together a thorough timeline of their relationship. (Because we take journalism seriously).

From their picture-perfect first meeting at a jazz club, to their blended family, and ultra-private long-awaited nuptials, we've got the details on this Hollywood duo's dreamy union.

1987: Jason Momoa first saw Lisa Bonet on his TV screen.

When Momoa initially laid eyes on his future wife, it was love at first sight—but not as you might think. Along with the rest of America in the 1980s, the actor tuned into The Cosby Show and watched Bonet star on the sitcom as Denise Huxtable, the role that launched her career. He was instantly smitten, though he was still a kid.

“Ever since I was like, 8 years old and I saw her on the TV, I was like, ‘Mommy, I want that one,’" Momoa famously told James Corden in a 2017 episode of The Late Late Show. “I’m like, ‘I’m going to stalk you for the rest of my life and I’m going to get you.’"

As we all know, the 6 foot 4 Game of Thrones actor got his dream girl, but he didn't exactly fess-up to his admiration until the pair had been together for some years.

"I didn’t tell her that until we had two babies, otherwise, I’d be creepy and weird. But yeah, just always wanted to meet her. She was a queen, always,” he said to Corden.

Yes, he actually called her a queen. Which kind of makes up for the rest of the off-putting remarks.

2005: Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet met at a jazz club.

Momoa and Bonet's meet-cute is straight out of a rom-com. One night, mutual friends introduced the two at a New York City jazz club. Given his crush, he was understandably ecstatic. He even decided to don a matching hairstyle for the occasion.

"We just happened to be in the right place at the right time,” he said to Corden. “I actually had dreaded my hair for her. I had dreadlocks, she had dreadlocks. I literally turned around and I see her and she goes, ‘I’m Lisa.’ I turned around to my friend and I [pretends to scream]. I had fireworks going off inside, man. I convinced her to take me home, because I was living in a hotel.”

Bonet and Momoa stopped at a cafe where they drank Guinness (Momoa's favorite) and ate grits. And that was that.

"I can’t say it was full-on from the moment we saw each other, but we have been together from the day that we met,” Bonet told Porter magazine in 2018. "In that moment, love came and it came big, and he did not run as I think a lot of men do. He basically picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, caveman style!”

2007: The couple had their first child together.

They welcomed their daughter Lola, now 12 years old, in July. She was Momoa's first child and Bonet's second. She already shared a daughter, actress Zoë Kravitz, with her ex-husband, rocker Lenny Kravitz. The former duo divorced in 1993 after six years of marriage, but they're a far cry away from being bitter exes.

As for Momoa and Zoë, 30, their relationship is solid. In addition to making multiple red carpet appearances with each other, he and the Big Little Lies star even have matching arm tattoos. They read "etre toujours ivre,” which is French for "always be drunk." Momoa told People that his stepdaughter was "a beautiful human being."And in a Rolling Stone interview, Zoë said that the first time she met Momoa in high school, he somehow ended up drinking forties with her and her friends.

Last year, she posted the sweetest birthday message on Instagram for her stepdad, revealing a dear pet name. "Love you papabear," she wrote. "Happy birthday you rascal."

2008: Then, they became a family of five.

Their son, Nakoa-Wolf, 11, was born in December and their family was complete.

“It’s real love,” Momoa told People about his children. “Seeing them grow, learning from them, teaching them…it’s just the greatest thing in the world.”

Bonet also sang his praises in her Porter interview, referring to her husband as an "alpha male who stands for love and family."

"Jason embodies a rare form of masculinity in this day and age—he’s a leader; he’s generous. Just in terms of charisma, physique, the right use of power, responsibility, work ethic, you can go down the line," she added.

And, they've successfully made their blended family work, which Bonet calls "fantastic." Proof? Zoë named her band, "Lolawolf" after her younger siblings, and Lenny is close friends with both Bonet and Momoa. The two fathers even have matching skull rings. How much tighter can you get?

2014: Momoa and his wife co-starred in their first film.

The actor directed, wrote, and starred in Road to Paloma, a dramatic thriller in which he starred as a Native American who goes on the run from federal agents after killing his mother's rapist. Bonet played his love interest.

While the movie was met with mixed reviews, Momoa explained that directing his spouse was like nothing else.

"It’s an honor," he told Collider of working with her. "In this business, we have to travel so far away from our families. We have two children, so if we can work together, that’s awesome."

The same year the couple also co-starred on Sundance TV series The Red Road, which followed a small town cop attempting to police two clashing communities. The show only lasted two seasons, but—surprise—you can catch it now on Netflix.

2017: The duo got married after 12 years together.

After over a decade as partners, it was reported that the couple were married in early October of 2017. The low-key ceremony took place at their home in Topanga, California with family and friends in attendance. It's said that a traditional Māori haka was performed for Bonet. Not much else is known about their special day, and the duo want to keep it that way.

“I thought it would have stayed [a secret], but some a*shole leaked it, and I will find you,” Momoa told Entertainment Tonight. "You know what, I've been married to my wife for 12 years. It’s just a gathering of our families and celebrating our love.”

February 2019: They coordinated at the Oscars.

Bonet and Momoa donned matching dusty pink looks designed by Karl Lagerfeld for Fendi. The outfits were some of the late-designer's last works before he passed away in February. The pair looked absolutely dazzling, which brought to mind the quote Momoa used to describe his connection to Bonet:

"We are a perfect fit," he told People.

You can catch them getting ready together in this video from Momoa's YouTube channel.

October 2019: Jason revealed his sweet nickname for Lisa.

In an interview for Esquire, the See star referred to his wife as a goddess, and made a clear statement about their relationship dynamic when discussing whether or not the family would adopt a new dog.

"It’s up to Mama. Mama is the boss—everyone knows that," he said. Swooning? So are we.

January 2020: He went jacket-less for Lisa at the Golden Globes

At the Golden Globes, Momoa caused absolute internet hysteria when he was caught hanging out in the audience during the ceremony in a tank, not wearing his velvet Tom Ford Jacket. But he had a great reason for showing off those biceps. Bonet was cold.

"I had to take care of the wifey," he reportedly told photographers the day after the show. "It was cold in there."

February 2020: Bonet made a cameo in her hubby's Super Bowl Ad.

In the week before the 2020 Super Bowl, Momoa teased his Instagram followers with clips of him in the bubble bath and reading romance novels. The reason? He had a commercial during the big game.

When it aired, it wasn't quite what we expected. The ad for Quicken Loans showed Momoa making himself at home by shedding his signature biceps, abs, and gorgeous head of hair. It was quite a sight, but Bonet made a quick appearance at the end.

August 2020: Momoa surprised his wife and restored her new car.

In a video posted to his YouTube channel, the actor revealed that he decided to surprise his wife by restoring her 1965 Ford Mustang—her first-ever car. You can watch the transformation, and Bonet's reaction, above.

"I never thought it would look like this," Momoa said. "To be in this passengers seat with my wife here and surprise her and our babies in the back, riding in her first car from when she was 17? I'm excited to see her face."

And Bonet was more-than impressed. "That's beautiful!" she said. "Holy cow. That is gorgeous. Not too flashy, but just enough."

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