Kenan Thompson, 45, is celebrating the release of his memoir, When I Was Your Age, out on December 5, 2023! In the tell-all book, the Saturday Night Live star goes into detail about his career, his personal life, and his split from Christina Evangeline, 34. The comedian even revealed that he nearly quit the hit comedy sketch show merely a few years into his tenure.
“I had no idea if I was doing a good job or not,” he penned in the book, as reported by PEOPLE. “When the season finished, I didn’t even think I’d be asked back. I knew I needed to get better at writing my own characters, and prayed I’d get another season to take a stab at it.” The actor joined the series in the fall of 2003 and recently celebrated his 20th year on the show. Amid the release of his memoir, below is everything to know about Kenan’s previous marriage and his two children!
Kenan Thompson’s Wife, Christina Evangeline
The Good Burger star and Christina began dating in 2007 and later tied the knot in 2011, as reported by E! News. Although the former lovebirds kept their romance primarily out of the spotlight, Kenan and his now ex did attend a few red-carpet events together over the years. Christina was by his side at the 2018 Emmy Awards and once more at the same ceremony in 2019.
What He Said of Their Split
Kenan Thompson @kenanthompson is opening up to @hodakotb about his new memoir “When I Was Your Age” where he talks about navigating being a child actor, his separation with Kel Mitchell, being a girl dad, and more. pic.twitter.com/PbaUJDHO9F
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) December 4, 2023
News broke of the couple’s split in April 2022. However, a source close to the star told TMZ that Kenan and Christina had actually called it quits over a year prior. The insider said that the two had “made the difficult decision to end their marriage.” They were married for over a decade and together for over 15 years. Kenan filed for divorce from Christina in June 2022 and requested 50/50 custody of their two daughters, as reported by PEOPLE.
Kenan opened up about his split on the TODAY show on December 4, 2023. During the conversation, Hoda Kotb
noted that he only mentioned the divorce briefly in the book. “I didn’t really want to speak out of turn on people who aren’t there to tell their vision of the story as well,” he said to the talk show host. “So, I just kind of told my perspective, basically.”
Kenan Thompson’s Kids
Although Kenan prefers to keep his romantic life private, he is proud to talk about being a father. Christina and her ex welcomed two daughters Georgia, 9, and Gianna, 5, during their marriage, which he also discussed with Hoda. “They’re my daily focus outside of myself. They are definitely my sweethearts,” the girl dad gushed. “I love them.”
In 2020, Kenan opened up to PEOPLE about how becoming a father changed his life. “One day you’re not a dad and then the next moment you are. You’re just a dad from that point on,” he said at the time. “And definitely, my coolness just got sucked right out of me. I didn’t know… I didn’t even feel it, but I just immediately started wearing black socks and shorts and just being really corny at stores and over-asking questions about items that are super obvious and in my face.” That May, Christina took to Instagram to share an adorable video of their kiddos wishing their dad a happy birthday. “An important message for @kenanthompson!” she captioned the clip of their daughters on a swing.