By Lillie Liska
Comedian Anjelah Johnson-Reyes never thought she would marry a Christian rapper, but she did. She never thought she wanted children but gave birth to daughter Rosalie in 2023.
She didn’t even have plans to be a comedian, until she attended a comedy-writing class at her church in LA.
“I had no desire to be a comedian,” said Johnson-Reyes, who originally set out to be a dramatic actress. “I was just like, ‘It’s free. Why not?’”
From there she landed a spot on the sketch comedy show MADtv where she created characters such as sassy fast-food worker Bon Qui Qui and nail-salon tech My Linh (originally made famous from her standup routine), who is eager to upsell services so her customer can get that boyfriend.
The 44-year-old didn’t initially set out to be a clean comic either, but her comedy came out of who she naturally was and eventually became an intentional part of her standup.
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“It was just when I started doing stand-up, that was just kind of how I spoke and what I was comfortable talking about and how I was comfortable talking,” the California native said.
Johnson-Reyes’ new hour YouTube special UGLY BABY just released. She talks about being in her “tia-era,” Mexican family reunions that run about “500 people deep” and motherhood which, before 2020, was not in her or husband’s plans.
“I always considered my career to be my baby. My career was the thing that I nurtured, that I cared for, that held in this pedestal, the thing that I chased after, and in my mind, I had all these dreams and goals and aspirations for my career, and kids always felt like a consolation prize to me,” Johnson-Reyes recalled. “Kids felt like if I get pregnant, have kids, and I guess that means I didn’t achieve my goals.”
When COVID hit and the world shutdown, Johnson-Reyes had already planned a Sabbatical that year. She realized that as grateful as she was for her success, it was not as fulfilling as she thought it would be, and it was in that season of reflection that she thought of starting a family.
“[I]t was in these moments that I was actually considering it, going, ‘Oh, I wonder if I should have had kids. Is it too late at this point?’ I was like, 38 and I was like, I wonder if I have any options left.”
The couple attempted to have a child through IVF without success but eventually conceived her “miracle” daughter naturally.
Now her daughter Rosalie gets to watch her mom and dad work together, as she tours alongside her parents and sees her dad work behind the scenes producing and writing the music for Johnson-Reyes’ UGLY BABY special, which will be her seventh comedy special.
“I know she’s young now, but I can only imagine when she’s able to fully understand the weight of what her parents do, and what her mom has been able to accomplish, I can only imagine what that will feel like,” Johnson-Reyes told the LA Times. “I’m so grateful that I get to experience that with her.”
It sounds like Johnson-Reyes’ life is full of unexpected blessings.
Read Next: Comedian Anjelah Johnson Welcomes Daughter: ‘Thank You For All Your Prayers’
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