A new report challenges the “sanitized” account of Bill Hader’s split from star comedian Ali Wong, saying it had more to do with the “Saturday Night Live” alum’s “moody” personality than with the couple’s busy and conflicting celebrity work schedules.
“Bill is not the easiest to be around, he is tense and harsh a lot of the time, everyone knows this in Hollywood, that is why his nickname is Bill Hater, because he hates on certain things,” a source told the Daily Mail.
Hader, 47, also has been dealing with the tragic circumstances surrounding the deaths of his good friend, Rob Reiner, and Reiner’s wife, Michele, who were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home on Dec. 14, according to the Daily Mail report. The Reiners’ 32-year-old son Nick has been charged with first-degree murder in their deaths, and Hader has been in the headlines due to a tense encounter he reportedly had with Nick at Conan O’Brien’s holiday party in the hours before the killings.
But even before the Reiners’ deaths, Hader was known for having a “prickly” personality, the Daily Mail reported. Sources close to Wong told the Daily Mail they were not surprised by this week’s news that the couple had broken up after two years of dating because they questioned whether the relationship would even last that long.
Wong, 43, is known to be “a super sweet girl, very normal, very fun and easy going,” while Hader is the opposite, the Daily Mail sources said. Sure, Hader can initially appeal to women because he can be “cute,” “kind,” “clever” and “hilarious,” but he soon reveals himself to be “cranky,” sources also told the Daily Mail. “I guess she could only take so much,” a source said.
Hader and Wong had started to become distant in recent months, sources said, which could explain the tense, emotional scene between them on a public street in November, which was documented by a photographer. But things became especially difficult for Hader after Rob and Michele Reiner were killed.
In an awful twist for Hader, he was featured in stories about events leading up to the murders because of his encounter with Nick Reiner at O’Brien’s Dec. 13 party. Nick Reiner, who reportedly has been diagnosed with serious mental health disorder, accompanied his parents to the party and reportedly caused a scene with his unsettling, asocial and erratic behavior, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
NBC News also reported that Hader was busy talking to someone else when Nick Reiner interrupted him. After Hader told the troubled Reiner that he was “in the middle of a private conversation,” Reiner initially stared at him before “storming off.” A “mortified” Rob Reiner also reportedly got into a heated argument with his son before he and his wife apologized and left the party. Police believe the couple were killed hours later in the early morning hours of Dec. 14.
A source previously told the Daily Mail that Hader was “horrified” and “extremely sad.” He also was upset that his name was being “connected to the story.”
“Bill doesn’t want this tragedy to be made about him, and any disagreement he may have had with Nick,” the source said.
Meanwhile, Hader’s breakup with Wong appears to be part of a pattern with him, according to Daily Mail. The “Barry” and “Trainwreck” actor was married for 12 years to director Maggie Carey, with whom he shares two daughters, ages 16 to 11. But after that marriage collapsed in 2018, Hader’s romances have been short-lived, and it looks like he’s now going to be “alone again,” as he approaches his 50s, the Daily Mail source said, adding, “It is not a good time for Bill.”
Hader split from actor Rachel Bilson in July 2020 after dating her for less than a year. He then moved on to Anna Kendrick, dating her for two years until they broke up in 2022. After that, he briefly dated Wong — around the she separated from husband Justin Hakuta, with whom she shares two daughters.
Hader and Wong rekindled their romance in 2023, as Wong was finalizing her divorce. The two seemed to make an ideal pair, if only because they are both regarded as very talented actors and comedians.
In her Netflix special, Wong revealed that that Hader reached out to her when he found out she was getting a divorce, People reported. After getting her number from a mutual friend, she said he texted that he had a crush on her “forever” and asked her to be his girlfriend. She said she did “fall in love again,” after he sent her flowers while she was traveling in Europe. “Some of you might know who the guy is,” Wong told her audience. “And it just so happens to be the man who sent me all of those flowers in Europe.”
At the 2024 Golden Globe Awards, Hader and Wong presented the picture of a much-in-love couple, as they walked the red carpet and when Wong won a best actress prize for her starring role in the the Netflix comedy-drama series, “Beef.” Hader was seen giving her a kiss before Wong made her way to the stage.
But as People reported on the couple’s breakup this week, the publication also noted there was talk of trouble in the relationship at the Golden Globe ceremony the following year. Fans wondered why Hader didn’t walk the red carpet with Wong, or why she didn’t thank him in her acceptance speech after she and her Netflix special, “Special Lady,” won the the prize for best performance in stand-up comedy on television.
At the time, a representative for Hader told People that the couple was still going strong and that Hader missed the event due to a health issue.
In the “sanitized” account of Hader and Wong’s breakup, they parted amicably after realizing they couldn’t make things work because of their busy schedules.
“It was too difficult to make the relationship work with Ali’s upcoming standup tour and Bill’s various film and TV projects this year,” a source told People. Now, the People magazine source said, “they’re focusing on their work and kids, while continuing to support and root for each other.”
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