Comedian, actor and writer Joel Kim Booster is officially married.
Booster wed his longtime partner, John Michael Sudsina, on Dec. 30 in San Francisco, celebrating their love story in front of close family members and a guest list packed with famous friends. The couple’s wedding, and the journey that led them there, was also featured in a recent New York Times wedding announcement, offering fans a romantic look at how the two found their way to the altar.
Booster and Sudsina first met in 2021 while vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, a popular LGBTQ+ destination. Introduced by mutual friends at a club, the connection was immediate. What began as a chance meeting quickly turned into a whirlwind romance, with the pair spending the rest of their trip inseparable. As Sudsina later described it, they became “vacation boyfriends,” attached at the hip for the duration of their time abroad.
When the trip ended, reality set in, Booster returned to Los Angeles, while Sudsina headed back to San Francisco. Despite the distance, the relationship deepened quickly. The two stayed in constant contact, watching television together over FaceTime and talking throughout the day. Just two weeks after meeting, Booster openly discussed his feelings on his podcast, admitting he was already in love and planning a visit to Sudsina during San Francisco Pride, a confession Sudsina found both surprising and endearing.
Their bond would go on to influence Booster’s creative work as well. According to The New York Times, Booster shared an early director’s cut of Fire Island with Sudsina before its release. The film, which Booster rewrote after being inspired by conversations the couple had during that first trip to Puerto Vallarta, moved Sudsina to tears. One especially meaningful memory, skipping plans with friends to spend an entire day talking together in a cabana, became a defining moment in their relationship.
Booster proposed in 2024 during a trip to Jeju Island in South Korea, the place of his birth before he was adopted as an infant. Two years later, they exchanged vows at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. The ceremony was officiated by Booster’s childhood best friend, the Rev. Sarah Casey, an ordained Methodist minister.
Friends played a central role in the celebration. Emotional speeches were delivered by a who’s who of queer comedy and entertainment, including Zane Phillips, Mitra Jouhari, Ahmed Zaeem, Phil Tassin, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.
Following the wedding, Sudsina shared his excitement about married life, telling The New York Times that being with Booster feels like living inside a romantic comedy. He praised their ability to grow together through challenges and expressed confidence in Booster’s future as a partner, friend and father.
