- LeVar Burton is an American actor, director, and television host.
- He’s best known for his roles at Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation, as Kunta Kinte in Roots, and as the host of Reading Rainbow.
- His wife of three decades is Stephanie Cozart.
In 2019, LeVar Burton gave fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation the ultimate throwback – while celebrating a very special day in his life. “27 years ago today, I jumped the broom with [Stephanie Cozart], the love of my life!” tweeted Levar while sharing a photo from his wedding. In the picture, the man known for playing Geordi La Forge on the hit series and films poses next to his wife, along with his TNG cast members Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes (with wife Genie Francis), Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, and Brent Spiner. Nearly three years after that tweet, LeVar and Stephanie’s marriage is going strong.
“She’s hysterical,” LeVar said in a 2013 interview with Serial Optimist when describing his wife. “She’s got a wicked sense of humor, also, very morbid. Stephanie is a goddess. Fiercely intelligent, stunning to look at. INTENSE in her energy. She’s a goddess. I married a goddess.” So, who is this “goddess” that has given LeVar a reason to get out of bed and reach for the stars? Let’s find out.
Who Is LeVar Burton’s Wife?
LeVar Burton (b. Feb. 16, 1957) is married to Stephanie Cozard Burton (b. Nov. 10, 1953), a makeup artist with an extensive resume. According to her IMDB, Stephanie – a Fort Wayne, Indiana native – started her career working in the makeup department for Silver Spoons in 1985. From there, she worked on other ’80s sitcoms like The Facts of Life, Out of this World, and Amen. She also worked on films like White Men Can’t Jump, Ghost Dad, and more. In the 1990s, she worked on True Colors, Living Single, In Living Color, Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper, and Reading Rainbow. She recently worked as a makeup artist on Whose Line Is It Anyway, the US adaptation of the UK show that ran from 2013 to 2022.
According to her LinkedIn, since 2020, she has been the Department Head of Makeup for The Upshaws at Netflix.
Don’t forget – Star Trek PICARD launches today! (And so does MY show – The Upshaws on Netflix) pic.twitter.com/Xxj27M1l3D
— Stephanie Cozart Burton (@StephanieCozart) February 16, 2023
How Did Levar & Stephanie Meet?
While some might think LeVar and Stephanie might have crossed paths on Reading Rainbow, he clarified that they met much sooner than that. The two met on 1988’s Roots: The Gift,” a TV movie that Louis Gossett and I did reprising the roles of Kunta and Fiddler,” he said in that interview with SO. The Gift is the third installment of the Roots miniseries, following Roots: The Next Generations, which aired in 1979 (two years after the original Roots.)
The details about their courtship are few, but clearly, it was love at first sight.
When Did Levar & Stephanie Get Married?
As LeVar indicated in his 2019 tweet, he and Stephanie were married on Oct. 3, 1992. Three decades later, the couple remains passionately in love. When LeVar celebrated his 66th birthday in 2023, she tweeted a photo of them together. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the best friend, partner, goofy buddy, and hubby! I love you so much – look what SEXTY SIX looks like.”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the best friend, partner, goofy buddy and hubby! I love you so much – look what SEXTY SIX looks like 💋♥️ pic.twitter.com/sGmCtGvsYN
— Stephanie Cozart Burton (@StephanieCozart) February 16, 2023
Stephanie is active on Twitter, often sharing photos of her travels with LeVar (in the case of 2023, when Mica Burton appeared in Season 3 of Picard. “My baby’s first red carpet for HER job! #proudmom Please watch Picard Season 3 and watch for @MicaBurton as Alandra LaForge,” tweeted Stephanie.
Do Levar & Stephanie Have Any Kids?
As Stephanie pointed out above, she and LeVar are proud parents of their daughter, Michaela “Mica” Jean Burton, who was born on July 8, 1994.
LeVar is also the father of Eian Burton, who was born in 1980. The child was born out of wedlock, and Levar learned of Eian’s existence three years after the boy’s birth. In 1983, LeVar asked the Los Angeles Superior Court to grant him joint legal custody and visitation rights, according to the Washington Post. “I grew up in a broken home, raised by my mother,” he explained. “I would like for (my son) to have the benefits of both parents.”
But, in 2013, the landscape had changed. Both his and Stephanie’s kids were grown and out of the house. “You know what… we’re empty nesters, so we are in the process of rediscovering who we are to one another,” he told SO. “I’m really trying to remember the romance. It’s an opportunity to really start courting my wife again, and in an effort to really connect on a level we haven’t been able to in a long, long time, just through the nature of life and raising a child. Raising a child in this modern era isn’t easy. Everybody struggles with parenting these days, everybody. It requires a lot of focus if you’re going to do it right.”