Ali Wong is one of the new generations of comedians who are taking over the international comedy scene. One of the most recognized and influential female comedians of the present times, Wong rose to fame via her Netflix special, Baby Cobra. The special was filmed when Wong was pregnant with her first child in 2015. Her second special was shot in 2017 when she was pregnant with her second child. And while there are no subjects that are off-topic for Wong, she revealed that she often has to run her jokes by Justin just to make sure that he is comfortable with them. And as Wong has said on numerous accounts, she will not lose her marriage by a cool joke. So, for this article, we will go beyond the jokes and take a closer look at the wiki-bio of Justin Hakuta.
Early Life:
Justin Hakuta was born on the 18th of October 1981, in Washington, D.C., United States. Born to a Japanese-American father, Ken Hakuta, and a Filipino mother, Marilou Cantiller, Justin was raised in a multicultural household. His father Ken Hakuta was a common name in the entertainment industry and hosted a popular game show for kids, Dr. Fad. He was also part of the writing team for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 1992, and for Late Night with Conan O’Brien in 1993. Apart from his writing skills, Ken was also a businessman credited for the creation of the Wacky Wall Walker which became one of the most popular toys in 1983, selling over 240 million units.
As for Justin, he graduated high school from Sidwell Friends School in Washington D.C. in 2000. He then moved to Carnegie Mellon University in 2004 and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Decision Science. In 2002, Justin spent a year at Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico furthering his knowledge of economics and business. In 2011, Justin graduated with an MBA degree from the Harvard Business School and was a Fulbright Scholar.
Business:
While still at college Justin worked for Honest Tea and stayed with the company for a couple of years. In 2004, he established the marketing and event-organizing company, All Day Buffet, and served as its president. After two years, Justin joined the Center for Court Innovation and worked on design programs for the New York State Unified Court System and Fund for the City of New York. In midst of all this, Justin co-founded Avacara and served as the team leader for the company.
Following his move to Los Angeles, Justin joined Direct TV DLab as lead developer. In 2016, he moved to GoodRx and served as its vice president. Following his exit from GoodRx, Justin started to accompany Ali on her tours, while running an online yoga resource center, YogaStart.
Net Worth:
As of now, Justin Hakuta has an estimated net worth of USD 3 Million.
Meeting and Marriage:
The duo first met at a wedding reception in 2010 and Wong was instantly impressed. In one of her specials, Wong mentioned how she talked herself into convincing Hakuta.
“So I was like, ‘All right, Ali, you gotta make this dude believe that your body is a secret garden. When really it’s a public park that has hosted many reggae fests, and has accidentally let… (Wong mentally counted) two homeless people inside. I thought they were hipsters.”
As it turns out, Hakuta believed that Wong was a secret garden and the pair have been together ever since. While Hakuta fell for Wong after attending one of her comedy shows, Wong was impressed with Hakuta’s accreditation from Harvard. The pair tied the knot in 2014 and had their first child, Mari in 2015. Wong fell pregnant for the second time in 2017 and had another baby girl, Nikki Hakuta.
Dealing with Miscarriage:
Wong has been open about her life experiences and her miscarriage before she gave birth to Mari. She has also been candid about the fact that she and her husband have done drugs to cope with some of the sad moments of her life. The pair went to Mexico to try Ayahuasca and also tried on mushrooms after Wong’s miscarriage. As for her secret to a happy marriage, Wong revealed,
“I don’t see how for us we could not go to couple’s therapy within the first two years of having kids. For us it’s been really important, and for other people, if you don’t go to couple’s therapy I hope you have great communication skills. You never know what’s going on in other people’s relationships.”
Divorce:
After two children and eight years of marriage Justin and Ali Wong divorced in 2022. Neither of the pair has come forth to reveal the reason however considering the way the pair has handled the divorce it is obvious they did not end their marriage on a bitter note. The pair have remained friends following the split and co-parent their two daughters. Ali Wong revealed that it was hard for her mother to accept the divorce and even asked her to stay in marriage until she pass away.
A quick write on his ex-wife, Ali Wong:
Ali Wong is an American comedian, actress, and writer. She was born on April 19, 1982, in San Francisco, California, United States.
Wong began her career in comedy in the early 2000s, performing at clubs and festivals throughout the United States. She gained national recognition in 2016 with the release of her Netflix comedy special “Baby Cobra,” which was filmed while she was seven months pregnant. The special received critical acclaim and helped to establish Wong as a major force in the comedy world.
Since then, Wong has released several more Netflix specials, including “Hard Knock Wife” and “Ali Wong: The Milk and Money Tour.” She has also appeared in a number of films and television shows, including “Always Be My Maybe,” “Birds of Prey,” and “American Housewife.”
Wong’s comedy is known for its frank and irreverent approach to topics such as motherhood, marriage, and Asian American identity. She has been praised for her unique perspective and her ability to tackle difficult subjects with humor and insight.
In addition to her comedy work, Wong is also an advocate for social and political causes.