John Oliver is one of the funniest and smartest men on late night-television. Since 2014, John has hosted Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, which has earned him over a dozen Emmy Awards. On his show, John breaks down the news cycle with satirical skits that sometimes feature his fake wife Wanda Jo Oliver, played by Rachel Dratch. In real life, however, John is married to Kate Norley, an American and U.S. Armed Forces veteran.
John and Kate’s marriage is a true love story for the ages. Below, Hollywood Life has rounded up everything you need to know about Kate and her marriage to John Oliver.
Who Is Kate Norley?
Kate Norley enlisted in the U.S. Army when she was just 19 years old. She wanted to serve her country after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Kate worked as both a combat medic and a mental health specialist when she was in Iraq, according to The Sun. Once she returned to the U.S., Kate dedicated herself towards veteran support by working with the organization Vets for Freedom. Kate is a Republican, while her husband is a Democrat.
How Did John Oliver Meet Kate?
John and Kate met in 2008 at the Republican National Convention. John was covering the event for The Daily Show, while Kate was there promoting Vets for Freedom. John, who is British, had a temporary work visa at the time, and he was nearly deported that night if it wasn’t for Kate. Kate and a group of veterans helped hide John from the security team who caught him in a restricted area and would’ve arrested him, according to The Daily Beast. John and Kate hit it off that night and they started dating shortly after!
John and Kate’s Marriage
John and Kate got engaged in July 2010 in St. Thomas. After the engagement, Kate told PEOPLE, “I was a medic in the Army. It was difficult, but right now it’s nice that I get to spend time with the love of my life.” John said, “It’s the most emasculating thing I could possibly do to go out with someone who has actually done something valuable with their life.”
One year after their engagement, John and Kate tied the knot in October 2011 in a private ceremony. They have kept most of the details about their wedding private over the years.
John and Kate’s Children
John and Kate share two sons, born in 2015 and 2018. Their first son, Hudson, was born prematurely. “Kate was in the hospital, it was very difficult for months beforehand,” John previously told the Hollywood Reporter about Kate’s pregnancy. “And doing the show at the same time, it was the absolute worst… It was a surreal experience,” he added. John didn’t reveal Hudson’s birth until over a year and a half later. “I have a son. He is 19 months old. He was born prematurely following a very difficult pregnancy,” he said on an episode of Last Week Tonight. John also kept his second son’s birth a secret until his child was three months old. He shared the news to PEOPLE at the 2018 Emmy Awards Governors Ball.
John eventually explained why he didn’t outright announce his sons’ births on Jimmy Fallon‘s talk show in November 2018. “We didn’t really announce it because it doesn’t matter,” he said on the talk show. “To me, it matters a great deal. Let me make that clear.” John further said, “This is not a royal baby. In terms of how far in line he is to the throne, it’s a peasant. I have a peasant child. So it didn’t even cross my mind that we should make a public thing about it.”
