Who Is Jon Batiste’s Wife? Get All the Details on His Relationship Status

Batiste is currently married to Suleika Jaouad, a successful writer who boasts an impressive resume of her own. The pair tied the knot at the their home in February 2022 shortly after Jaouad was diagnosed with leukemia for the second time.

“We have known that we wanted to get married, I think, from the first week that we started dating,” Jaouad said on CBS Mornings.

Jaouad, 35, is a journalist and motivational speaker, who earned an Emmy Award for her New York Times column, “Life, Interrupted,” which detailed her experiences as a young adult living with leukemia.

Per her official website, Jaouad’s initial plan was to become a foreign correspondent, but her dreams were cut short by her diagnosis in 2011. She wrote, “After my diagnosis of cancer at age 22, I moved back into my childhood bedroom so my parents could take care of me. At the same time, I’ve had no choice but to grow up fast."

Since then, Jaouad has published a best-selling memoir called Between Two Kingdoms, filmed a TED Talk, served on Barack Obama's Presidential Cancer Panel and appeared on programs like the Today show. And now, she travels around the country hosting wellness workshops at schools, hospitals and corporations.

As it turns out, their love story goes all the way back to their childhood. While appearing on the podcast How It Is: Hello Sunshine, Jaouad revealed that she met the musician when she was 13 years old.

She said, “​​Jon and I met at band camp when I was 13, and he was 15. And even then, at the kind of end of summer recital, I remember hearing him play and thinking, like, this guy has something really special. And back then, he was very different to how he is now. He had braces and was awkward and shy.”

She continued, “I knew he was someone special. At the same time, you know, it’s summer camp, and you don’t really expect that you’ll necessarily see the kids you go to summer camp with again.”

During an interview with Hoda Kotb, Batiste discussed his first impression of Jaouad. He said, “She's always been a great communicator, always magnetic, always able to communicate the emotions that other people are feeling. I noticed that about her immediately. But there was no crush.”

Fortunately for them both, they did see each other again. And that chance meeting would eventually lead to a years-long romance.

According to Jaouad, they crossed paths again when Batiste started attending the Juilliard School. She told Hello Sunshine, “We ended up reconnecting a few years later at Juilliard, where he was a freshman and I was in the pre-college program. We just kept orbiting in and out of each other’s lives.”

It was around this time that Jaouad learned about her diagnosis. And during her stay at the hospital, she received a call from Batiste, who asked to visit her. Little did she know that he had a special surprise planned.

She recalled, “I said yes, and to my surprise he not only came, but he brought his whole band along with him. And right there in my hospital room, he and his band began to play for me.”

“From that day forward, Jon was someone who kept showing up for me,” she continued. “I think people often say you find out who your real friends are, but I think for me, that experience more than anything made very clear on who it was I wanted to be closer with, and Jon was one of those people.”

They don't share any children, but they're proud dog parents to multiple dogs, including their newest addition, Sunshine. Jaouad recently posted an update on Instagram and wrote, “Sunshine lost two baby teeth this week and the tooth fairy brought her a spoonful of peanut butter. Just thought you should all be aware of this very important news. Not sure why this wasn't the headline of the NYT today???”

Perhaps Jaouad and Batiste will expand their little family with another furry friend. But until then, you can find us gushing over their romantic pics on Instagram.