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Dave Chappelle and his wife Elaine Chappelle have been married since 2001. The comedian has always said he owes a lot to her as she put off her dreams for their family. The former Chappelle’s Show star revealed that Elaine is very skilled in one field but didn’t pursue it because she chose to stay at home and raise their family. However, Dave said that their kids now benefit from her talent every day.

Read on to find out exactly what that is.

Dave Chappelle and his wife Elaine, who does pay attention to her husband's haters, arriving together at the Kennedy Center
Dave Chappelle and his wife Elaine arriving together at the Kennedy Center | ALEX EDELMAN/AFP via Getty Images

Who is Elaine Chappelle?

Dave’s wife was born Elaine Mendoza Erfe on Aug. 31, 1974, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. She is of Filipino descent. Elaine and Dave met and began dating in the 90s when the D.C. native moved to the Big Apple to pursue his stand-up career. The comedian previously told Howard Stern: “She was with me when I was poor.”

The pair kept their relationship private for a while before tying the knot during the annual Philippines-American picnic in Dayton, Ohio. After that, they made some appearances together but Elaine prefers to stay out of the spotlight. The couple even moved to rural Ohio so they can live low-key.

“I’ll be reminded that I’m a celebrity here, but I don’t think about it at all until somebody asks me for a selfie or something,” Dave said during an interview with CBS. “It won’t even occur to me that’s what it is … It’s almost like a nature reserve where they’ll let me run free. I’m a protected commodity.”

Their children benefit from Elaine’s talent every day

Dave and Elaine have three children. Their oldest son, Sulayman, was born in 2001 followed by another son, Ibrahim, in 2003. The pair then welcomed a daughter, Sonal, in 2009.

Elaine is a talented cook and had dreams of becoming a chef. She never pursued that career though, deciding to devote her time to raising their family instead. However, she has always practiced her culinary skills at home and because of that their kids “eat like kings.”

“She doesn’t work as a professional chef, [but the kids] regularly eat like kings at home, thanks to her excellent culinary skills,” Dave stated (per CBS).

Dave Chappelle and wife Elaine sitting courtside at an NBA game
Dave Chappelle and wife Elaine sitting courtside at an NBA game | Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
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Dave says it’s hard when kids get older and are ‘less interested’ in being with their parents

Dave spoke about something very bittersweet with his kids as they have gotten older.

During his Netflix stand-up special Dave Chappelle: Equanimity & The Bird Revelation, the comedian said it’s hard seeing your kids grow up and not wanting to be with their parents as much.

“I see my age in my children. I came home from the road not long ago–I was gone for weeks and weeks, and when I came back, nobody was home. Not one person in my family thought maybe I’d like to see them when I got back,” he recalled. “That s*** was a wake-up call. When my kids were little and the tour bus would pull up to the house, [they’d] spill out. ‘Dad is home, hooray!’ Then as the years went on, they’d get less interested.”

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