Photo: Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic
Kevin Jamesfound his queen, Steffiana de la Cruz, in the early 2000s.
In 2004, a few years after James met the Filipino model on a blind date, the couple tied the knot and they’ve been going strong ever since.
Sharing four children with de la Cruz, the comedian took the opportunity to talk about his wife’s parenting skills in his 2018 Netflix special,NeverDon’t Give Up— especially when it comes to her putting their kids to bed.
“My wife’s so good at it because she wants to be there,” James said. “By the way, when she gets there, they feel comfortable. When they feel comfortable, they relax and go to sleep. She’s out of there eight minutes later. Glitter shoots out the door.”
So, who is Kevin James’s wife? Here’s everything to know about Steffiana de la Cruz and her relationship with thePaul Blart: Mall Copstar.
She began dating James in 2001
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James and his wife met in 2001 when they were set up on a blind date. Although details about their first outing together are sparse, things apparently went well.
That same year, the comedian talked about de la Cruz in his stand-up specialKevin James: Sweat the Small Stuff, joking about a comment she made.
“I was on the phone with her and I travel a lot, you know I’m here in New York now, and she was in L.A. at the time, and that’s where she lives,” James said. “And I was on the phone with her and she was like, ‘God, I miss you,’ and I was like, ‘Yeah I know, I miss you, too.’ And she was like, ‘I wish I could be there with you … If only I had a magic carpet, I’d be there in like two hours.’ "
“‘What? Did you just say magic carpet? If we’re agreeing that [she has] a magic carpet,” James added, “how do you get two hours? What, do you got a layover in Dallas?’ "
According to James, de la Cruz replied, " ‘Well I don’t want to go too fast, I don’t want to fall off.’ "
The two continued dating, eventually getting engaged in October 2003.
She and James got married in 2004
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James and de la Cruz tied the knot on June 19, 2004, less than one year after the actor popped the question. They exchanged vows at St. Edward Catholic Church in Dana Point, California, in front of family and friends. Celebrity guests in attendance includedRay RomanoandClint Eastwood.
“Kevin was very nervous. He was sweating,” a wedding guest told PEOPLE at the time.
After the ceremony, the newlyweds and their wedding party enjoyed a reception, which was held at Montage Resort in Laguna Beach and featured a 90-minute set fromEddie Money(James joined in on “Take Me Home Tonight”). Wedding planner Mindy Weiss told PEOPLE that there was “all kinds of food,” served buffet-style, including McDonald’s.
In June 2020, Jamesshared a sweet photo on Instagramin honor of the couple’s 16th wedding anniversary. “16 years ago today! You’re all I need … and the kids … and Friday night pizza … and Sunday pasta … but that’s it … you, the kids, pizza, pasta. Love you … Deo Gratias,” he captioned the pic.
She and James share four children
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In April 2011, the lovebirdshad their first son, Kannon Valentine, on Easter Sunday in Boston. Then, four years later, theirdaughter Sistine Sabella joined the family.
When promoting his sitcom,Kevin Can Wait, the funnyman admitted hedrew components from his real life when creating the show. “They’re all elements of myself in these characters,” he told PEOPLE in 2016. “This one [is] a little bit more so because of my family life … with some exaggerations.”
James also talked about his kids, saying, “My eldest daughter is kickboxing. I’ve got three daughters and a little boy, but [Sienna-Marie]’s the tough one — she’s strong … I’m not going to lie: She’ll put a hurting on you.”
Their son is a talented piano player
James and de la Cruz’s son learned to play the piano at a young age and has been practicing ever since.
In September 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic, Jamesshared a video on Instagram of KannonplayingBilly Joel’s “New York State of Mind.”
“Stay Strong New York,” James captioned the post. “My family and I send our love to our fellow New Yorkers and everyone around the world. Thank you to all the doctors, nurses and other heroes on the front lines. God Bless.”
She is an actress
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De la Cruz has worked as an actress, with more than a dozen credits to her name.
She had roles onPacific BlueandDie Gangin the mid-’90s and inStealing Harvardin 2002. While her career began years before she met James, the two collaborated on projects and appeared in several television shows and films together.
De la Cruz was onThe King of Queensfour times over the course of the show’s nine seasons,portraying a different charactereach time. Additionally, she had small roles in bothPaul Blart: Mall Copmovies andZookeeper(2011), and she appeared in two episodes ofKevin Can Wait.
She’s friends with Leah Remini
Leah Remini Instagram
It’s no secret that James is very close withLeah Remini. The two worked together onThe King of Queensand again onKevin Can Wait,but their on-screen romance turned into a real-life friendship that has spanned decades.
Remini has also developed a relationship with de la Cruz over the years. In fact, Reminishared a photo of the two of themat an event in 2018.
“@officialkevinjames beautiful wife, Steffiana de la Cruz is as beautiful inside as she is out. Great show Kevin! Thank you to #TheParamount for the hospitality,” Remini captioned the post.
She doesn’t have social media
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De la Cruz does not have any public social media accounts, and while James isn’t super active on social media, he has been known to share tributes to his wife on special occasions.
“My incredible wife … 13 years today!!!❤️❤️❤️ DEO GRATIAS!” hecaptioned a photo of de la Cruz kissing his cheekin honor of their 13th wedding anniversary.
On Valentine’s Day 2020, Jamesshared a selfie of him and his wife eating a heart-shaped donuttogether.
“Happy St. Valentine’s Day my love … Nothing will ever come between us … I love you all … even you,” he wrote.
James mentioned her in his latest comedy special
James poked fun at de la cruz—and her gift for gab—in his comedy specialIrregardless.
“My wife’s awesome. I love her so much. We’re an amazing fit. We’ve been together like 20 years,” he said before joking that his wife talks too much. “I’ve already said every word I’m gonna say to her in every combination. She knows everything about me. I know everything about her. We don’t need to talk anymore. We can finish the rest of our life with gestures.”
source: people.com
