The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission.
Jimmy Kimmel jokes he ‘looks almost exactly like’ ex Sarah Silverman’s boyfriend
Two comedians dated from 2002 to 2009
Support truly
independent journalism
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
![Louise Thomas](https://static.independent.co.uk/static-assets/support-us/louise-thomas.png)
Louise Thomas
Editor
Jimmy Kimmel has poked fun at his resemblance to ex Sarah Silverman’s current boyfriend, Rory Albanese.
The 56-year-old TV host referred to his previous romance with Silverman when she appeared on his show,Jimmy Kimmel Live!, on 30 November. While they’ve since moved on to their respective relationships, the two comedians dated for seven years, before splitting up in 2009.
During the episode, Kimmel briefly reflected on the romance, telling Silverman: “We dated for a long time,” to which she replied: “We dated for a couple years, a long time ago.”
Kimmel went on to correct her about the time frame, adding: “A lot more than a couple of years,” before Silverman playfully responded: “Whatever, seven [years].”
The commentator then pointed towards Albanese, who was sitting in the audience, and quipped about the similarities he thinks they share.
“And now, kind of weirdly, Rory, your boyfriend, your longtime boyfriend , who looks almost exactly like me by the way, is sitting next to my wife there,” he said, referring to his spouse of 10 years, Molly McNearney. Silverman also joked that McNearney looked “almost exactly like her”, which Kimmel hilariously agreed with.
The TV host continued to acknowledge how he’s spent some time with Silverman’s boyfriend, since he’s the producer on the late-night show. He’s also acknowledged how they work alongside McNearney, as she’s the co-head writer of Jimmy Kimmel Live!
“Rory and Molly both work here,” Kimmel told Silverman. “We have a lot of interconnection.”
After Silverman agreed with his comment, she also described how her relationship with Albanese has developed, noting that they’re living in the same house together.
In 2020, Silverman first announced that she was dating the TV writer. Meanwhile, Kimmel has been married to McNearney since 2013, and the pair share two children, Jane, nine, and Billy, six. Kimmel also has two adult children, Kate, 32, and Kevin, 30, with his ex-wife, Gina Kimmel.
Although Kimmel is on good terms with his ex, he previously acknowledged that they weren’t in that place right away. While addressing his public friendship with Silverman during a 2019 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Kimmel said “it took some time” for him and his ex to become friends after the split.
“It definitely took some time. It was never like where we didn’t like each other, hated each other or anything like that. But it definitely took some time to be comfortable enough to be friends again,” he said.
During an interview with GQ in 2017, Kimmel explained how he and Silverman were “like brothers”. He went on to express why he still wanted the comedian to stay in his life, even after the breakup, before praising her friendships with her previous partners.
“It doesn’t make sense to me that people would erase a big part of their lives. It’s not like we didn’t spend every day together for many years. We did, and we have a lot of things in common and mutual friends,” he explained. “I’ll see something in the news and think: ‘Oh, my God. I have to tell Sarah about this.’ She has a very good relationship with pretty much all of the guys she’s dated. She is very mature about it.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments