Man Repeller's Leandra Medine and Husband Abie Cohen Play The Newlywed Game—and Their Answers Are Hilarious
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we asked some of our favorite power couples to put each other to the test Newlywed Game style.
Turns out, Man Repeller’s Leandra Medine has always been digitally savvy. In 2006, before launching her site, she met her now-husband, Abie Cohen, on Facebook. “Back then it was incredibly unusual to be friended by someone you didn’t know,” she says. “We started talking a little bit there, but the courtship truly began on AOL Instant Messenger.” As luck would have it, she ran into Cohen, a financier, IRL at a mutual friend’s Halloween party weeks later. “I was dressed as a slutty flight attendant and he was coming from a bar mitzvah,” she says.
Fast-forward 12 years, and the Cohens are happily married, living together in downtown New York City, and expecting a set of twins this winter. After documenting her infertility struggles, Medine announced her pregnancy in a candid blog post in November. “That was my course. This is my course. I wish I had known this. I wish I could have believed Abie when he said I would be happy again,” she wrote. “I hope that you believe me when I say you will be, too.”
Medine is known for her frank and relatable voice—whether discussing heartbreak or handbags, beauty routines or love. And Abie knows it. Below, see just how well they know each other (or don’t know each other—we also asked them to chime in on any incorrect answers, which you'll find crossed out).
LEANDRA ON ABIE
What is Abie’s favorite designer? Céline or The Row. Wrong! Thom Browne.
What is a wardrobe item of his that makes you wince? His stupid round-toe suede ankle boots.
What is his grooming essential? Drunk Elephant Night Serum. Wrong! A combo of Drunk Elephant products.
What is his biggest quirk? His dad jokes.
What is his dream getaway? Anywhere on the West Coast.
What is his go-to drink order? Peroni.
What is his favorite TV show to binge-watch? Nova.
What would be his ideal Valentine’s Day date? A nice sushi dinner, just the two of us, at a restaurant we haven’t tried before.
What would be his alternate occupation? Urban planner.
What is his culinary pet peeve? He really doesn’t like peas.
Which artist does he have on repeat? Simon & Garfunkel.
How many shoes does he have in the closet? No more than 12 pairs.
What is his most coveted possession? His own sense of sincerity.
ABIE ON LEANDRA
What is Leandra’s favorite designer? Dries Van Noten. Wrong! Céline or Rosie Assoulin.
What is a wardrobe item of his that makes you wince? Anything that’s too puffy.
What is her beauty essential? Drunk Elephant Serum.
What is her biggest quirk? She doesn’t close things, like on the washing machine and dishwasher.
What is her dream getaway? Southampton, Long Island.
What is her go-to drink order? Tequila on the rocks with lime.
What is her favorite TV show to binge-watch? It’s a tie between Friends and Sex and the City.
What would be her ideal Valentine’s Day date? Dinner at a cozy sushi bar in the West Village.
What would be her alternate occupation? A journalist at New York magazine. Wrong! A psychologist.
What is her culinary pet peeve? Anything with garlic.
Which artist does she have on repeat? Frank Sinatra.
How many shoes does she have in the closet? Two hundred fifty.
What is her most coveted possession? Family photographs.
For more stories like this, pick up the February issue of InStyle, available on newsstands and for digital download now.
