Quinta Brunson spoke out about about her recent split from ex-husband Kevin Anik, mainly airing her grievances about the private matters going more public than she would like.
Brunson, the comedic mastermind and star of ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” spoke candidly to Bustle about news of her divorce spreading before she was ready to address it herself. In March, several outlets including The Times reported that Brunson had filed a petition to divorce Anik after three years of marriage.
“I remember seeing people be like, ‘She announced her divorce,’” she said, adding, “I didn’t announce anything.”
The Emmy-winning Buzzfeed alumna and Bustle’s latest cover star added: “I think people have this idea that people in the public eye want the public to know their every move. None of us do. I promise you.”
Brusnon also lamented how other details about her private life — including a recent real estate purchase — can be revealed through public records information. “I hated that,” she tells Bustle. “I hate all of it.” The 35-year-old comedian, who has also starred in “A Black Lady Sketch Show” and “Big Mouth,” has kept most of her personal life private, mainly using her Instagram page to celebrate professional milestones and promote her Emmy-winning series.
She announced her engagement to Anik in July 2020 on Instagram but kept their marriage mostly offline. When she won multiple prizes at the Primetime Emmy Awards in 2022 for “Abbott Elementary,” her husband was among the people she thanked. While accepting the Emmy for writing for a comedy series, Brunson dubbed her husband “the most supportive man I’ve ever known.”
Brunson and Anik married in October 2021 and do not share any children. She cited “irreconcilable differences” in her petition, which did not specify when the couple separated. Her petition also said she and Anik entered a post-nuptial agreement regarding the division of their assets but did not disclose those terms.
Brunson also spoke about setting her own boundaries with devoted but outspoken “Abbott Elementary” fans when it comes her private life. “Those are invisible voices that aren’t in your home,” she told the outlet, later adding, “When it comes to matters of your personal life and decisions you make, you do have to tune it out.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Brunson reflected on her ascent from beloved online personality to Hollywood darling and the publicity that comes with it — for better or worse.
“Even if you don’t give a lot, people want whatever they can get, and will take whatever they can get,” she said.
