Actor Michael Ealy is one of Hollywood’s most captivating stars and he recently went viral for giving his former co-star Meagan Good a bear hug in front of her boyfriend Jonathan Majors.
Know for his striking baby blue eyes and menacing movie roles, it’s not hard to see that Ealy, 50, is easy on the eyes. He’s graced the screen in several popular films such as “Think Like A Man” (1 & 2), “2 Fast 2 Furious,” and “For Colore Girls, and most recently “Reasonable Doubt.” He was also named People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” in both 2002 and over a decade later in 2013.
With such an impressive résumé and undeniable charm, it’s no surprise that fans assumed he was a single man.
Despite the speculation, fans were mistaken. Ealy has been happily married for 12 years to Khatira Rafiqzada, the love of his life and the mother of his two children. He appears to be committed to his family and shows no signs of straying. But who is this intriguing woman who captured Ealy’s heart?
Who Is Khatira Rafiqzada?
Khatira Rafiqzada met Ealy in 2008 and has been married to him since Oct. 20, 2012. She is an actress, art collector and entrepreneur in the food industry with a rich multicultural background. A chef, she also is the head of the Break Bread cooking program — which she co-founded — at St. Anne’s Family Services in Los Angeles.
Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, she moved to India at age 8 and later to Northern California. Rafiqzada’s journey from a war-torn country to the United States shaped her perspective and fueled her passion for storytelling and advocacy. Her experiences as a refugee and first-generation immigrant influence her work and dedication to raising conscious, self-aware children.
She shared some of her background on Instagram, posting a picture of her parents, and explaining how they wound up in the United States in the caption. Rafiqzada described her mother as a woman of many talents after working as a teacher and a political news anchor in our country but could only find work as a housekeeper when she came to the U.S.
“I came here as a refugee from Afghanistan when I was 12 years old, sponsored by Catholic Charities as victims of war,” she said in part. “I loved my childhood and bc war hadn’t yet made it to our backyard, I couldn’t understand why we left my country. I couldn’t understand why my parents put themselves through hell coming here.”
She continued, “As I grew up, I served food, I took care of kids, I cleaned homes, I graduated from high school and went to college. I’m now married to an American and have kids that are half first -generation immigrants and half Black. My biggest achievement so far has been to raise these children as self-aware, conscious and thoughtful human beings. I’m proud to have that opportunity and proud to be American.”
This is important as Rafiqzada and her family moved a total of 26 times during her childhood, according to People.
“I would not have been able to add all of these experiences to the American fabric, but for my parents’ will to offer us a better life. To imagine all of that taken from me or to live in hiding would be even worse than staying in my war-torn country,” she went on to share, adding, “These dreamers are the foundation of our country and the future of our nation. They didn’t choose to come here, just as I didn’t, but they have so much to give to our society. To punish them is shortsighted and inhumane.”
At her core, Rafiqzada uses her platform to bring awareness to the plight of the “dreamers” — immigrant children who grow up in the United States but may be vulnerable to deportation because of documentation issues — and to devastation of war in and religious oppression in her homeland by the Taliban.
Rafiqzada’s Art Collection
A passionate art collector, Rafiqzada has been curating pieces from a young age.
Her collection is a blend of contemporary and traditional influences, reflecting her multicultural background. She often shares her art discoveries on social media. She said in a 2021 interview with SugarCane that art gave her the language to articulate certain feelings she had about the life going on around her.
“Once I came to America, I fell in love with anti-war photography. It expressed the frustration of what my reality was,” the mother of two said. “At the time, I didn’t have the language to communicate those feelings. Art gave me the gift of communication without words, and that was powerful for me. I loved photography so much I picked it up as a hobby.”
This love for art not only transformed her life, but also influenced her husband, who has now taken an active interest in art, even serving on the board of trustees at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Interestingly enough, this introduction to art influenced Ealy’s role on the Peacock series “Bel-Air,” where he plays Reed Broderick, a renowned art gallery owner with an eye for discovering new talent in the art space.
Ealy and Rafiqzada’s Annual First Date
Ealy and Rafiqzada cherish their tradition of celebrating their first date every year. On Feb. 16 they commemorate the occasion by ordering the same meal they shared at Viet Noodle Bar in Los Angeles.
According to the wife, their first date was three days after she decided to give him her number, and after that she was smitten. She also shared that their first date lasted all day, with both knowing early on that they wanted to marry each other.
“I gave you my number on Feb 13th. I told you not to call me on Feb 14th bc that’s wack. You texted me on Feb 15th and we set up our first date for Feb 16th,” Rafiqzada wrote in a post on Instagram. “It was an 11 a.m. late breakfast date that ended at 2 a.m. I knew within an hour of our first date that I was going to marry you! I had never before felt safety in someone’s presence like I did 10 years ago today.”
“I more clearly understand now what I viscerally felt then. I’ve never witnessed you lie, not to a customer service rep, not when it would be easier, not to me. I’ve never in my life met a better human than you,” she expressed. “Marriage is hard and s—t gets old, but 10 years later I still catch myself watching you from the across the room and saying ‘DAMN, THAT’S MINE!!!’”
Ealy also has memories about the first date during an appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show.” When asked about the date, he said, “It was more like a takeover.”
“So, my wife was — she basically told me that this other guy was not her boyfriend. So, I asked her about it and she said, ‘No, he’s not my type, he’s not boyfriend, he’s never been my boyfriend. You’re my type,’” he remembered.
“That was the first time she ever said that to me, and I was like, OK. So, I think I called her the day after and was like, ‘OK, so can we go out on Tuesday night?’ She’s like, ‘No, I’m working,’” Ealy continued.
“I was like oh, OK, great. I get it, how ’bout like Thursday? [She said] ‘No, I’m working,’” he recalled, before adding that she stated she would not be available until Monday.
He said after that he was hooked.
This annual celebration is a testament to their enduring love and connection.
Ealy and Rafiqzada’s Kids
The couple has two children, Elijah Rakim and Harlem Quest. Elijah was born in September 2013, and Harlem followed in April 2016.
Despite their public profiles, Ealy and Rafiqzada have chosen to keep the pregnancies and births of their children private. They have often expressed how parenthood has deepened their bond and brought immense joy to their lives.
Rafiqzada’s immigrant background and Ealy’s Black heritage play a significant role in how they raise their children, emphasizing self-awareness and cultural understanding.
Ealy and Rafiqzada’s Private Life
Though Ealy is a Golden Globe-nominated actor and a notable wherever he goes, he and Rafiqzada keep their relationship relatively private.
They cherish family time and rarely share personal details with the public.
When Rafiqzada does take to social media, she is laser focused on making what she says count, often using her platform to advocate for Afghan citizens and other causes close to her heart, like her husband Ealy, whom she dotes on every anniversary. On Oct. 20, 2022, her 10th anniversary, she shared how grateful she is to have him in her life.
“15 years together but today we celebrate 10 years of marriage. We have truly grown up together. Seen the world together. Built a home together. Built a family together! You have loved me at my worst and my best, and everything in between…and I don’t take any of that for granted,” she wrote on her Instagram page, giving a rare glimpse into their romance.
She continued, “Thank you for your patience and always showing me how important it is to work through conflict, and life’s many challenges. You have taught me to never give up, always show grace, take accountability and most important, you are willing to grow and evolve with me— with us. I am so damn proud of myself for knowing back then that you are what I deserve. God knows I haven’t always been good to myself but you are the best thing I’ve ever worked my ass off to keep! I can truly say I love you deeper today than ever before. I love you and all that we have built.”
“I vow to never sing again!!!!” she ended her note.
While fans will never know the true details of what she means by “many challenges” or “take accountability,” that is a testament to how tight-knit they are as a couple. It is also a reason why so many were quick to associate Ealy with some of the characters he plays when he hugged Good the other night.
Ealy is dedicated to his wife and has not been in a Hollywood infidelity scandal. He is actually one of the good ones.
