Quinta Brunson, the multi-talented creator, producer, and star of Abbott Elementary, has filed for divorce from her husband, Kevin Jay Anik. The couple, who married in October 2021 after several years of dating, cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split. Court documents filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court list their separation date as “to be determined.”
The legal paperwork reveals that Brunson and Anik entered into a postnuptial agreement to handle the division of their property. Brunson has requested that both parties adhere to the agreement and cover their attorney fees. The couple does not have any children together.
Brunson has always been private about her relationship, but she publicly acknowledged Anik’s support during her 2022 Emmy Awards acceptance speech for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. “In case I am not back up here again,” she said, “I have to thank my mom, dad, brothers and sisters, my cousins … my wonderful husband because he’s the most supportive man I’ve ever known and my incredible cast and show for helping me to make this show and make the pilot.”
In a November 2022 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Brunson opened up about her marriage, praising Anik for allowing her to be her authentic self. “To be 100 percent fully me requires a lot of stuff that a lot of men do not have time for,” she shared. Reflecting on past relationships, she noted that some partners had tried to accommodate her but ultimately “realized there’s no dimming me.” For Brunson, her home is her “sanctuary,” a place where she should never have to dim her light.
Meanwhile, Brunson’s hit ABC show, Abbott Elementary, continues to thrive in its fourth season. The workplace comedy, which follows her character Janine and her colleagues at a Philadelphia school, was partly inspired by Brunson’s mother, who worked as a teacher in the city.
