Willie Geist and his wife, Christina Sharkey Geist, have the sweetest relationship, made all the more sweeter with his latest declaration of love.
Willie, 49, shared a tribute to Christina, 50, for her birthday, and his kind words left fans praising the Today host for being a great husband.
“She was 11 when she caught my eye on the first day of Mr. Kaplan’s 6th Grade homeroom class. A gawky boy in Jams and Chuck Taylor’s can dream… but not this big,” he captioned an Instagram post last week. “I’d love to go back and tell him she and I have spent most of our lives since that day together and today we’re celebrating her Big 5-0. Happy Birthday, @ChristinaSharkeyGeist! The woman of my dreams.”
In one of the photos featured in the post, Christina smiled while she held up a glass of wine. Other throwback photos showed the couple back when they were in school, as well as a photo from their 2003 wedding.
The comments flooded with love for the happy couple, who share kids Lucie and George.
One person wrote, “Beautiful couple and your a good man, Willie. Happy birthday to her!”
“I think it’s wonderful you found your soulmate and love of your life so young. What a sweet testament to you both,” another penned.
“Willie.. I had no idea this was your story with your wife… These pictures are deeply moving. What a beautiful thing. Happy birthday to your beautiful bride,” another commenter wrote, while another said, “I love your story. I enjoy you immensely. You exude warmth and happiness. Your wife’s creativity is beyond compare. Thank you for the light you bring to my life. Wishing you 50 more.”
The Morning Joe host previously discussed how he met Christina while chatting with Hoda Kotb during an episode of Today With Hoda & Jenna in April 2022.
“For people who don’t know, I met my wife in the sixth grade,” Willie said during the episode. “We went to high school together, we went to college together, but we were buddies first. And I think even today, all these years later, that’s the foundation of our relationship is that we were always friends.”
The journalist also explained how their friendship blossomed into a relationship.
“I have a very romantic secret. I made out with her on the roof of my friend’s house with some warm Bud Light in the red-hot fall of 1991,” he said through laughter.
When asked if he and Christina held hands at school, he explained why they kept their relationship under wraps for a while.
“I don’t know if I did that,” he admitted. “I was like the cool football guy who couldn’t be seen holding hands.”
Willie’s confession on the show made Hoda, 60, open up about her own love life
“I spent most of my life in the friend zone, I feel like!” she quipped. “I was always seen as the friend … I was always the one, when someone would approach me at a dance and you’re like, ‘It’s happening, it’s happening,’ and they’re like, ‘Hey, do you think your friend would dance with me?’”
