Who Is Michael Ealy’s Wife? All About Khatira Rafiqzada

Michael Ealy keeps his relationship with his wife Khatir Rafiqzad relatively private.

The Golden Globe-nominated actor — who has starred in a variety of hit movies and television shows including 2 Fast 2 Fierce (2003), A good woman, Think like a man (2012) and Bel-Air — married Rafiqzada in October 2012. Since then, they have had two children together: son Elijah and daughter Harlem.

Ealy spoke highly of his wife when he posted a photo on Instagram in 2017 of him holding their daughter Harlem.

We can always find comfort in you, Ealy wrote at the time. “We are all blessed to have you. We celebrate you every day! Thank you 4 holding us. You are the core and the rock.”

So who is Michael Ealy’s wife? Here is everything you need to know about Khatira Rafiqzada and her relationship with Barber shop star.

She was born in Afghanistan

Khatir Rafiqzad’s Instagram

Rafiqzada was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, but moved to India with her family when she was 8 years old, writes TEDxWaterStreet.

She moved again four years later, this time to Northern California. Rafiqzada shared on social media that she moved a lot during her childhood – a total of 26 times.

“I came here as a refugee from Afghanistan when I was 12 years old, sponsored by Catholic Charities as a victim of war,” Rafiqzada captioned a photo of her parents in 2017. “I loved my childhood and [because] the war had not yet arrived in our backyard, I could not understand why we had left my country.”

“I am now married to an American and have children who are half first generation immigrants and half black. My greatest achievement so far has been to raise these children as self-aware, aware and thoughtful human beings,” she added. “I’m proud to have that opportunity and proud to be an American. I wouldn’t have been able to add all these experiences to the American fabric if it weren’t for my parents’ willingness to offer us a better life.”

She and Ealy celebrate their first date every year

Khatir Rafigzad’s Instagram

The couple marks the anniversary of their first date every year on February 16 by ordering the same meal they shared at Viet Noodle Bar in Los Angeles.

Rafiqzada said on Instagram that it only took three days from the time she gave Ealy her number for them to go on their first date. Sparks flew and the date lasted all day from 11am to 2am. Both of them already knew in the first few dates that they wanted to get married.

“I knew within one [hour] of our first date that I was going to marry you! I’ve never felt as safe in someone’s presence as I did 10 years ago today,” she wrote on the February 2018 anniversary of the announcement.

Similarly, Ealy wrote in a 2020 Instagram post, “A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon caused by reflection. The myth goes like this: At the end lies a pot of gold. I knew I found my gold on our second date and have been thinking about the phenomenon ever since. Who are you.”

He has been working in the food industry for more than a decade

Khatir Rafiqzad’s Instagram

Sharing a photo of female workers at the Korean restaurant Le Comptoir in LA, Rafiqzada wrote that she “started her career in the food industry as a prep worker.” Among other things, she also worked as a dishwasher, a bus girl, a bar maid and a manager.

When she is not cooking professionally, Rafiqzada reveals her favorite dishes on social media and bakes birthday cakes for her children. She also runs a cooking program called Break Bread — which she co-founded — at St. Mary’s Family Services. Anne in LA

“We teach young moms coming out of foster care and probation how to make healthy, delicious meals for themselves and their kids,” the entrepreneur captioned a photo of a FoundRae necklace on Instagram in December 2020. “We break bread with after every cooking lesson and enjoy a meal that have just prepared.”

She married Ealy on October 20, 2012

After dating for four years, the lovebirds tied the knot in a private ceremony in LA in October 2012. However, they didn’t announce their wedding until two months later.

“Michael has always been a private guy and wanted to privately enjoy his time as a newlywed with his wife,” Ealy’s rep told PEOPLE exclusively at the time. Now that some time has passed and the holidays have arrived, he wanted to share the news with his fans that he is married and very happy.

The couple exchanged vows in front of six witnesses at a ceremony in October, Rafiqzada shared on Instagram. That December, they hosted a large reception with friends and family.

She shares two children with Ealy

Michael Ealy Instagram

Rafiqzada and Ealy are the parents of Elijah Rakim and Harlem Quest. After welcoming their son Elijah in September 2013, Rafiqzada gave birth to their daughter Harlem in April 2016.

Although the couple chose to keep the pregnancy and birth of their children private, Ealy later opened up about the father while speaking to PEOPLE in 2014.

“There are more milestones every day,” the actor said at the time. “He said ‘mom’ in the car yesterday and it really warmed my heart. There was a lot of chatter!”

A collector is an art

Presley Ann/Getty

Rafiqzada is an avid art collector, frequents galleries and shares his finds on social media. She started collecting pieces at a young age, and now art has become one of her great “loves” in life.

“When I came to America, I fell in love with anti-war photography. It expressed frustration with what my reality was,” she told Sugarcane magazine 2021. “At that time, I didn’t have the language to express these feelings. Art gave me the gift of communication without words, and that was powerful for me. I loved photography so much that I took it up as a hobby.”

Rafiqzada’s passion for art was also passed on to her husband. Ealy began compiling artwork after meeting his wife, and even served on the board of directors of the Baltimore Museum of Art.

“I started collecting because my wife was so passionate and persuasive about it,” the actor told Sugarcane Magazine. “Indeed. I still collect because she was right. Passion is contagious, and the impact on our children who see themselves in the works is unparalleled.”

They are each other’s biggest support

Michael Ealy Instagram

Rafiqzada and Ealy mostly keep their family life out of the spotlight, but aren’t shy about sharing their support for each other on social media.

After Ealy delivered the Dillard University 2021 commencement speech, the food connoisseur praised her husband.

“I’ve never been so proud,” she captioned a video of Ealy’s speech. “People can finally see the side of him that has kept me sane all these years. He truly is my rock. He inspires me everyday to appreciate the little things and never compare my life to anyone else. He is the king of living in the present and not stressing with his work. He is [focused] and has a very healthy definition of success.”

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Source: HIS Education