Jimmy Kimmel is one of a select group of people in Hollywood who have the privilege of working with their spouse. The Emmy-nominated host’s wife, Molly McNearney, has worked on his talk show for over two decades now, and the pair have been married for 13 years. While the two appear to have a great professional and personal relationship, it’s hard not to wonder about the early days of that relationship, since Kimmel was McNearney’s boss. Well, now she’s shedding some light on that, and she’s getting quite honest about it. Both McNearney and Kimmel were guests on the latest episode of Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, where they discussed more than a few different topics. McNearney recalled what it was like when she first started working at Live! years ago. She then segued into their “meet-cute” story, which started when she met the Man Show alum weeks after booking her job on his talk show. Funny enough, McNearney’s depiction of that encounter wouldn’t indicate any kind of romantic interest on Kimmel’s part: I went into his office with the executive producer at the time and he's like, ‘Oh, I want you to meet my new assistant.’ I don't think Jimmy even looked up from his desk, and my boss at the time, Daniel, said, ‘This is Molly. She's my new assistant. She does triathlons.’ ‘Cause I was doing triathlons at the time. And Jimmy said, ‘How stupid.’ And then that was it. That was my first [time] meeting him. That entire scenario sounds like it could be an early scene in one of the best romantic comedies of all time. McNearney said the situation between her and Kimmel didn’t heat up until about eight years later, at which point she was a head writer. It was set in motion by a work meeting, during which McNearney named her favorite foods – Pizza, crab claws, BLT, and chocolate chip cookies – as part of a game. Six months later, she was invited to Kimmel’s house after work, and she arrived to find those aforementioned foods prepared.McNearney admitted to being taken with the gesture, but she had some concerns about starting a relationship with Kimmel, given he was her boss. As she explained: I was very nervous about it. I thought it was a terrible idea and I was very skittish and I kept telling him, ‘I think this is a bad idea.’ And he kept saying, ‘It’s not a bad idea.’Nevertheless, the two co-workers did get together, and the rest is history. The relationship, however, did get off to a somewhat sneaky start due to the pair trying to conceal it. McNearney recalled: Yeah, [we were sneaking around]. For the first few months, we were very, very quiet about [it]. I was very nervous about it changing. Obviously, the work dynamic, and I was in a room full of mostly men and we had a great thing going on in that room and I didn't want it to change. But then it did.Today, the Gracie Award winner seems happy with her decision to become involved with Kimmel, who she married in July 2013. Since then, the two have shared happy moments in their lives as well as more challenging situations, like their son Billy’s early medical emergency and the Jimmy Kimmel Live! suspension nearly a year ago. I’d imagine if a couple can survive personal obstacles and an insane year of late-night TV, they must have a sturdy bond. Molly McNearney’s anecdote may not constitute a typical love story, but it’s one that I can certainly appreciate. Fans can see the work she and her hubby produce as collaborators by watching Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which airs on weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC as part of the 2026 TV schedule.