Quinta Brunson’s career grows every year, but no matter how well-known she becomes to the public, the Abbott Elementary creator keeps some things very private. That includes her personal life with her husband Kevi Jay Anik. Brunson doesn’t share much about Anik on social media, but she has started mentioning him in her many acceptance speeches during awards show season.
For exampled, during her historic win for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series at the Emmys in 2022, Brunson said, “In case I am not back up here again, I have to thank my mom, dad, brothers and sisters, my cousins…my wonderful husband because he’s the most supportive man I’ve ever known and my incredible cast and show for helping me to make this show and make the pilot.”
And that’s how fans found out she was married. Here’s everything known about Anik and his support for Brunson as she’s developed her hit ABC show.
Who is Kevin Jay Anik?
Anik has kept his own life pretty private. He appears to have no social media presence of his own and makes very, very rare appearances on Brunson’s feed.
How long have they been together?
In her 2022 memoir, She Memes Well, Brunson says they started dating after meeting at a friend’s birthday party. She never announced the exact date they got engaged but did confirm it with an Instagram post of her ring in 2020, captioning the selfie, “More good news.”
The “more” is because she had recently announced that her series A Black Lady Sketch Show had received an Emmy nomination.
Brunson called Anik her husband during her Emmys speech, confirming they got married. She never shared the exact date. As is their style, they didn’t share any photos or info about the event.
What else has Brunson said about Anik?
She doesn’t say a lot about Anik, but when she does talk about him, it’s always flattering. After her Emmys speech in 2022, she thanked him again during her 2023 Golden Globes win for the best musical or comedy actress award. She said, “My husband, my wonderful, wonderful cast I love you guys so much. And I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for having you.”
During a November 2022 interview, she said, “To be 100 percent fully me requires a lot of stuff that a lot of men do not have time for,” adding that past partners tried to change her before they “realized there’s no dimming me.”
“My husband, that’s what I mean by him being the biggest support, that there is no need to dim me at all,” she continued. “That allows me to love him fully and be the person that I want to be, and am meant to be.”
In February 2023, the cast of Abbott Elementary received the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. While talking about the series’ success, she said she had the best “support system” in her husband.
“I mean, a partner during all of this, you can’t buy that kind of support,” she told Entertainment Tonight at the time. “Someone willing to go through what it takes to make Abbott and be a part of Abbott, it’s priceless. I don’t know what to say. I’m so grateful.”
They rarely walk the red carpet.
Though Brunson is appearing at industry events all the time for her job, Anik rarely does red carpet with her. There have been some joint outings though. The pair were photographed together the 2022 TIME 100 Gala, where Brunson wore a stunning purple gown, and Anik was in a classic tux and bowtie:
He accompanied her to the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards in September 2022:
They were photographed at the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party:
The couple also attended the FWRD party in Los Angeles in August 2023, held in honor of Dwyane Wade’s induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
And in October 2023, he was her date to the Neiman Marcus Creates the Magic Holiday Launch Event in Los Angeles.
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.