Bestselling author David Sedaris — who happens to be the brother of hilarious actress Amy Sedaris — is used to writing captivating pieces, and that’s what he’s just done yet again. However, this time he’s used the opportunity to pen an essay that’s revealed the fact that he’s been secretly married for a decade.
“In an essay for The New Yorker published on April 13, the writer and humorist, 69, revealed that he and [Hugh] Hamrick have been wed since 2016,” according to People. Sedaris also “shared why he wanted to keep his marriage … a secret.”
It Was a Banker’s Idea for David to Get Married
David opened up about tying the knot with Hugh, who he met in 1990, writing in The New Yorker essay, “It happened in 2016 and was done secretly—it was essentially a shotgun wedding, completely the idea of my banker, Cindy, and undertaken solely for financial reasons. We did it at the county courthouse in the small town of Beaufort, North Carolina.”
“Neither Hugh nor I was particularly dressed up, though we weren’t slobs, either,” he continued. “We probably looked as if we were being audited: slacks, freshly ironed button-down shirts…”
Getty“I guess that, during the ceremony, I recited whatever words I was instructed to: ‘I solemnly swear’ and ‘in sickness and in health,'” David added. “Hugh and I would never kiss in public, so at the end we shook hands. Neither of us choked up. The wedding took a matter of minutes.”
After the ceremony, David was determined to keep his marriage under wraps.
Even David’s Family Didn’t Know About His Marriage
When it came to the fact that David was now a married man, he explained in The New Yorker essay, “Aside from saving money, all I cared about was keeping my marriage a secret.”
He explained his reasoning, noting that he isn’t fond of men using the term “my husband,” just like he wasn’t thrilled with the word “partner.”
“I have lied in interviews, on forms; wherever the question is asked, the answer is ‘Nope. We just live together,'” David admitted. “My best friend doesn’t know that I’m married. Neither does Amy … or anyone else in my family. Hugh and I don’t celebrate our anniversary, and I’d be at a complete loss if asked to give the month, much less the date. The season I recall, but nothing else. Years go by without my remembering it ever happened…”
At the same time, David added, “I was happy to meet Hugh. I hoped it might work out between us and am delighted that it has. When I tell people that we’re breaking up after thirty-five years together—which I do all the time as a joke—hardly anyone believes me, which is frustrating but also a sign that to our friends and family we seem like a pretty good fit. Married, though!”
