Award-winning writer Lena Waithe, openly lesbian, was previously married to Alana Mayo, a content executive.
But the lesbian couple — despite being highly praised for presenting them in public as a married pair — announced their separation after two months of marriage on January 23, 2020.
Later that year, in November, Mayo filed for divorce from Waithe, and eventually, on May 24, 2021, their single status was restored.
Their divorce papers included an agreement for spousal support and dividing up of property and other assets.
Lena Waithe and Alana Mayo Got Engaged on 2017’s Thanksgiving
The relationship that ended in heartbreak had initially started as a promising love story.
In 2017, Waithe became the first black woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for writing the Netflix comedy-drama series Master of None’s ‘Thanksgiving’ episode.
Shortly after creating the Emmys history, she went on to get engaged on Thanksgiving Day.
The creator of the Showtime drama series The Chi revealed the news of her engagement to Mayo.
This was during an episode of the podcast, Homophilia, in the presence of hosts Dave Holmes and Matt McConkey.
“I was in Tokyo, as one goes to Tokyo for Thanksgiving. No, it was sort of like this thing that my lovely lady and I decided because it was actually our first Thanksgiving together,” she said before adding, “I’ll give you guys a bit of a scoop because we haven’t said it on social media yet, but I will, I’ll do a post…but I proposed on Thanksgiving in Tokyo.”
They Had a Secret Wedding in San Francisco
Two years after the engagement, Waithe and Mayo secretly married in an intimate wedding ceremony in San Francisco. The writer-actress later confirmed the marriage during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, a guest hosted by John Legend.
“We snuck and did it, you know. We didn’t really make any announcements or a big, you know,” Waithe told Legend as a photo of the newlyweds flashed on the screen.
“That’s my wife. She’s beautiful.”
She then revealed that she and her now ex-wife went to a courthouse in San Francisco and tied the knot right in front of Harvey Milk’s bust.
The Westworld actress continued to add, “It was her idea, like all good things are, and she was just driving and she saw the courthouse and she said, ‘We should get married there,’ and I said, ‘Cool, I’m down.’”
Prior to the wedding, Waithe also spoke with People in March 2020 and revealed that her marriage with Mayo would be small but a crazy event.
The marriage was just an excuse to have fun with the couple’s friends and simultaneously keep things low-key.
Lena Waithe and Alana Mayo Had an Amicable Split
As stated earlier, the former couple announced their separation in January 2020. However, the two showed no signs of drama or differences while telling the news to their fans.
Besides, they had an amicable split, as they both agreed for spousal support in addition to divvying up other assets and property.
“After careful thought and consideration, we have decided to part ways,” their joint statement read. “We have nothing but support for one another and ask that you respect our privacy during this time.”
Since the split, they have been relishing their single lives and focusing on their respective careers.
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