Say what?! Riz Ahmed is officially off the market! The actor recently married novelist Fatima Farheen Mirza.
The Venom actor, 38, accidentally dished on his new status as a married man on Louis Theroux’s “Grounded” podcast on Monday, January 11. Ahmed said that he chose to stay in California after shooting a film there in late 2020 because his “wife’s family” is from the Bay Area.
When Theroux circled back to Ahmed’s mention of a wife, the 50-year-old host noted that he “didn’t realize” the Emmy winner was not single and asked how long he’s been married.
“Not very long, actually,” the Night Of star, 38, revealed. “It’s the first time I’ve ever mentioned it in an interview. So, congratulations on this incredibly exciting scoop.”
The U.K. native continued, “I mean, I guess I don’t really feel it’s generally that relevant, so I don’t delve into my personal life or my dating history or even family life much.”
The Nightcrawler actor said “the main reason” he has chosen to open up about his private life more recently is because he believed people weren’t taking the coronavirus pandemic seriously. He had two relatives die from the deadly virus last year.
“I felt like talking about it and saying, ‘Hey, look, this is a real thing. It’s affected me and my family,” he explained.
Ahmed doesn’t think it’s “necessary” for fans to know everything about him. However, he believes that it’s not entirely accurate to describe him as someone who seeks privacy.
“If I was quite a private person, I wouldn’t be doing a podcast with you being like, ‘Hey, check out these films.’ ‘I’m on Twitter,’” he argued. “I guess it’s just about having boundaries.”
Ahmed did not disclose the name of his wife during the interview. However, he went on to reveal her identity during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday, January 13.
The Rogue One: A Star Wars Story actor was previously linked to writer and filmmaker Anya Raza. She accompanied him to the 2018 Golden Globes, and they attended Wimbledon together in 2017.
In a 2013 profile with The Guardian, the publication suggested that Ahmed’s busy career has likely put his personal life “on hold.” The story indicated that he had “no girlfriend” and lived “with his brother in south London, forever working.”
