Jimmy Kimmel is one of the most successful hosts working in Hollywood right now. In addition to having his own late night talk show (Jimmy Kimmel Live!) for the last two decades, he's also been the emcee for numerous awards shows broadcasted on TV. As he heads into the hosting role for the fourth time at the 2024 Oscars, he's not alone. His wife, Molly McNearney, is there every step of the way — at home and on set.
Like many folks in the entertainment industry, Jimmy and Molly's road to romance started out behind the scenes. Molly worked as an assistant to the executive producer on Jimmy Kimmel Live! starting in 2003, and she later became a staff writer for the show. When she was named co-head writer in 2008 (per People), Jimmy was, of course, on-camera. At the time, he was in a relationship with comedian and actress Sarah Silverman (he divorced from wife Gina Maddy in 2002, with whom he shares a daughter, Katherine and son, Kevin). As Molly revealed to Glamour in 2014, their initial meeting didn't go quite the way she expected.
"When I first met him, he insulted me!" she told the outlet at the time. "The executive producer brought me into his office and said, 'This is Molly; she's my new assistant.' Jimmy barely looked up from his desk until my EP said, 'She competes in triathlons,' and then Jimmy looked up at me and said, "That is really stupid! What a waste of time." That was the first and only thing he probably said to me the entire first year of working there."
When Jimmy eventually split from Sarah in early 2009, it turned out Molly was single too. The two began dating later that year, and although Jimmy and Molly's relationship seemed public, Molly added to the outlet how it took them some time to break the news of their love to those they worked with.
"I was very, very nervous because I love our writers so much, and we work so closely together," she noted. "I was also the only female writer in the room at the time, and I didn't want to change the dynamic ... When you have camaraderie with your co-workers, one of the parts of that is making fun of the boss a little bit, and now to think, 'That's the guy I'm dating,' I didn't want that to stop."
Almost three years after the couple began dating, the two announced in August 2012 they got engaged during a trip to South Africa. They wed in an intimate ceremony in July 2013 in Ojai, California, and they welcomed their first child together (his third overall), daughter Jane in July 2014. Jimmy and Molly welcomed their son William "Billy" in April 2017, whose birth came with some health complications.
Per People, Billy was born with a congenital heart condition that led to three different surgeries shortly after his birth. Jimmy spoke out about the experience during a 2017 taping of his late night show, where he praised Molly for being "so strong and level-headed and positive and loving during the worst nightmare a new mother could experience." He also showcased his family in a 2018 Mother's Day Instagram post, shining light on how much he appreciated his wife.
"Happy #MothersDay to every Mom, especially my wife Molly," he wrote at the time. "You are even more beautiful with weird little people hanging onto you."
Jimmy and Molly navigated those tough moments as parents and came out even stronger, and the two get to share professional wins as well. The pair still work together on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Molly has also been a part of the producing teams for various awards shows Jimmy hosted. She was an executive producer for the 2023 Academy Awards (which marked Jimmy's third time hosting), and she'll be one of three executive producers again this year as he takes the mic to host for a fourth time.
When speaking to ABC Chicago about how the married couple balance their business and personal lives on Hollywood's biggest night, Molly revealed she couldn't imagine working with anyone other than her husband to usher in the 2024 Oscars.
"Keep it a happy, joyful celebration for the people in the room. Keep it moving," she said about what her husband does best. "Jimmy's also really good on his feet. He thrives in spontaneous moments, so live television is perfect for him."
Jimmy agreed he loves to work with his wife on nights like this ... especially when there's a possibility of something going awry. "To be honest, sometimes I hope things go wrong because it mixes things up a bit," Jimmy said. "You don't want everything to be too neatly wrapped up in a bow. You want a little bit of mess. You want a little bit of risk and it is a live show and you want to remind people of that. So if something happens — which things seem to be happening a lot lately — I feel like I'll be ready for it."
"He really cares deeply about the people in that room and wants them to enjoy themselves and feel relaxed with him," Molly concluded. "And I think that makes people at home feel relaxed and excited."
So true!
