Samira Wiley and Lauren Morelli went from friends to parents. Here's a timeline of the married couple's 7-year relationship
Lauren Morelli, a writer, and Samira Wiley, an actress, met on the set of "Orange Is the New Black."
They started out as friends, got engaged in 2016, and got married in 2017.
Recently, they welcomed their first child together.
Lauren Morelli and Samira Wiley have a true Hollywood relationship: The two met, became instant friends, and eventually fell in love on the set of "Orange Is the New Black."
They've since been together since 2014 and recently welcomed their first child.
Here's a look at how their relationship went from a friendship to something more:
December 2012: They met on the set of 'Orange Is the New Black' and became friends - Morelli was married at the time
The future couple first met when they began filming the Netflix series, where Morelli was a lead writer and Wiley played the character Poussey Washington.
Morelli was writing a few scenes for Wiley, and after spending time together to discuss it, they found they had an immediate connection.
At the time, Morelli was married to a man, but she later told Out magazine in 2016 that after seeing Wiley's audition tape, she "immediately had a crush on her."
While working on the set of "OITNB," Morelli realized she was gay, which she wrote an essay about for Mic in 2014. Morelli and Wiley became friends because Wiley - who came out when she was in her 20s - was helping her work through her feelings about her sexuality.
"I remember those first months with her, trying to figure out her journey with her own sexuality. Feeling like she picked me as the person she was going to talk to about all of it," Wiley told Bust in 2018.
"And it wasn't sexual, it was just like a friend. There was something deeply intimate about that, whether there was sexual tension there or not."
2014: Morelli filed for divorce from her husband, and she and Wiley officially began dating
After spending a year working on her marriage, Morelli filed for divorce from her husband in September 2014. That year, she and Wiley also started dating.
Wiley later told Cosmopolitan UK in March 2021 that they had "built the relationship backwards," explaining that their friendship, in the beginning, was "more of a confidante kind of relationship" that became something more.
She added, "Lauren is the most lovely person, and [we were] able to have that relationship blossom from being scared of what was happening in her own marriage to being on the other side and [realizing], 'Oh, this is more than this, we actually really love each other.'"
2015: Morelli and Wiley took their first big trip together to Thailand
About a year into their relationship, the couple went on a vacation to Thailand together, which they described to Out magazine in 2016 as "a total disaster" that "just exposed everything."
The couple realized how different they were, Morelli said, "I'm so neurotic and Samira could not be more laid-back."
Wiley added, "We always say it's amazing we survived that trip, but however horrible it was, it helped me know I want to be with her-because she could see all these parts of me and still want to be with me, and I could see all these parts of her and still want to be with her."
She continued, "I would rather have the worst day with Lauren than the best day with someone else."
October 2016: Morelli proposed to Wiley and they celebrated their engagement
On October 4, 2016, Wiley announced their engagement with a photo on Instagram featuring her, Morelli, and a sparkling diamond ring. She captioned it, "Yes."
They later talked about their engagement and told Out magazine in 2016 that it happened right before a planned weekend in Palm Springs.
Wiley said that while they were getting ready to go, Morelli asked her to sit on the couch with her, then got her up and they started dancing together. Then Morelli pulled a ring out from behind the couch to propose.
Wiley explained that, because Morelli had been married before, Wiley wanted Morelli to be the one to propose when she really felt ready for it.
"I didn't know she was as ready as she was. I was completely shocked," Wiley told Out. "I was crying uncontrollably and kept backing away from her."
March 25, 2017: The couple got married in Palm Springs
The two tied the knot in Palm Springs, California. Wiley later told Cosmopolitan UK in March 2021 that it was "the best day of my life!"
Morelli and Wiley's celebration appeared on the cover of Martha Stewart Weddings, which described the ceremony as "a mix of traditional and non."
They had an intimate weekend-long celebration with close friends and family at an outdoor venue in Palm Springs. Their theme was confetti, and they both wore custom-designed bridal looks by Christian Siriano.
June 2019: Wiley hinted that they might start a family soon
During an appearance at the 2019 Tony Awards, Wiley talked to Us Weekly about starting a family in the future.
She said, "There's always talk about our future, and we'll just have to see where our life leads us."
Later that month, Morelli spoke about having sex with Wiley for the first time
In an interview with Vulture, Morelli got candid about her first sexual experience with a woman, which happened with Wiley.
Morelli said, "I hadn't known myself before I had sex with a woman," adding that Wiley "made me see myself in a way that I just haven't before."
She also said that she didn't really feel like she belonged until she had been with Wiley.
"It just shifted my perception of where I belong, and once I belonged to her, it suddenly felt like I was able to take up more space," she added. "I was able to believe I belong in groups that I might have thought I didn't belong in."
May 9, 2021: The couple announced the birth of their first child together
On Mother's Day, Wiley surprised fans and announced the birth of their daughter, George Elizabeth, who was born on April 11, 2021.
In an Instagram post featuring a photo of a baby holding Wiley and Morelli's hands, she wrote, "Happy 1st Mother's Day to my beautiful wife, who four weeks ago today after laboring for almost 3 days gave birth to our first child-our gorgeous daughter, George."
She added, "Welcome to the world, babygirl. We love you and we thank you for giving us the best 1st Mother's Day two ladies could ask for."
The two had not previously shared that Morelli had been pregnant, so the birth announcement was a surprise to fans.
Read the original article on Insider
