Photo:MICHAEL TRAN/AFP/Getty
MICHAEL TRAN/AFP/Getty
Omari Hardwickmay be best known for playing James “Ghost” St. Patrick on50 Cent’shit seriesPower, but to his wife Jennifer “Jae” Pfautch, he has a much more important role: loving husband.
The couple married in 2012 and have since celebrated several milestones together, including the births of their two children, Nova and Brave. Pfautch has also supported Hardwick professionally, and was actually the one who encouraged him to pursue his breakout role inPower.
While speaking toEbonyin 2020, Hardwick revealed that he was initially hesitant to take on the complicated character, but Pfautch’s confidence in him helped him take the leap.
“I wouldn’t say I convinced him to take the role [inPower], per se," Pfautch told the outlet. “His soul knew it was time to embrace what God had for him careerwise, and in order to do that, the role of Ghost was the next step in that process. I honestly said very little; just enough to remind him of his call and his purpose.”
Beyond their support for each other, the two have managed to keep the ins and outs of their relationship relatively private. But that doesn’t mean that Hardwick and Pfautch are shy about displaying their love on social media, as they frequently share tributes for each other on birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions.
In May 2023, Pfautch even joined Hardwick at the premiere of his new Netflix movieThe Mother, in which he costars alongsideJennifer Lopez.
Later that month, Hardwicktalked to PEOPLE about his marriage, saying that “communication is so key” and it’s “definitely” the most important component of a healthy relationship.
He added that respect is also important. “You just got to really respect the person you’re in that relationship with. Once that’s gone it’s really hard to get that back,” he said.
So who is Omari Hardwick’s wife? Here’s everything to know about Jennifer Pfautch and her relationship with the actor.
She is from St. Louis and worked as a publicist in California
Jennifer Pfautch Instagram
Pfautch is from St. Louis, Missouri and, according to herLinkedIn, graduated from California Lutheran University in 2004 with a degree in communications.
While she was at school, she interned at NBC, working in the primetime entertainment publicity department. After graduating, she went on to work as a publicist for firms like the Creative Artists Agency and Paradigm Talent Agency in California.
She and Hardwick got married in 2012
Paul Zimmerman/WireImage)
While it’s unclear when the pair first started dating, Hardwick and Pfautch officially tied the knot in May 2012.
Ahead of their 11-year anniversary in April 2023, Pfautchposted a sweet tributeto her husband and shared their secret to a successful marriage.
“One of the single most important things, in my opinion, is growth,” Pfautch wrote in the caption of the post. “Constant, perpetual, continual GROWTH in all facets. Look for someone who is always evolving. They aren’t going to magically fall in love with growth once you’re married, so look for it when you’re dating someone.”
They share two kids
Paras Griffin/Getty
“Jae named Nova, obviously, meaning new star, supernova,” the actor explained of his daughter’s moniker, which Pfautch also picked for its Hopi tribe meaning of “chasing butterflies.”
Hardwickmade another appearanceon the talk show in May 2023 to give an update on the couple’s family. The father of two shared that their daughter is the only girl in her baseball league, playing the positions of shortstop, first base and center field.
“She’s super fast, she’s rocking and rolling,” he said, adding that Nova takes after both Hardwick (who played football at the University of Georgia) and Pfautch. “Her mom is really athletic too,” he said, explaining that their son Brave has also taken up basketball.
They experienced a pregnancy loss
Tasos Katopodis/Getty
The loss took a toll on the couple, and Hardwick credits a conversation with hisSorry to Bother YoucostarTerry Crewsfor helping him save his relationship following the devastation.
“Terry actually said ‘Man! You can’t leave that girl.’ He grabbed me so hard,” Hardwick said in aninterview withEbony.
They are both Capricorns
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Whether it’s during an interview or in a hashtag at the end of an Instagram post, Hardwick frequently mentions that the pair share a zodiac sign.
“#Cappystrong,” Hardwick captioned abirthday postfor Pfautch on Jan. 4, 2019.
Hardwick’s birthday falls a few days later, on Jan. 9.
They make time for date nights
Despite the pair’s busy schedules, Hardwick and Pfautch make sure they leave room in their schedule for the occasional date night. As the actor told PEOPLE for the 2016Sexiest Man Alive issue, the couple doesn’t need to get fancy to enjoy quality time together.
Hardwick also said he turns to music to spice things up. “I can play music!” thePowerstar explained. “I am a music-ie while my wife is a foodie, so the combination works.”
Pfautch encouraged Hardwick to pursue music while ‘Power’ was on hiatus
Monica Schipper/WireImage
While the Georgia native has always been interested in many forms of art, his wife encouraged him to get serious about his passion for music during the hiatus between seasons 1 and 2 ofPower.
“Jae said ‘Don’t do a movie this hiatus,’ she always has these ideas, she was like ‘Why don’t you do music?’ " Hardwick said during an interview onGood Morning America.
Hardwick later released hisdebut music video, “hOme,” in January 2019.
Hardwick is protective of Pfautch
Jamie McCarthy/Getty
TheArmy of the Deadactor shared on the radio showThe Breakfast Clubhow he once refused to take a photo with a fan because they did not address Pfautch or his children while the family was out together.
“Just acknowledge our families. This woman to my right here, saved my life,” he said about Pfautch, adding that she helped him get through some of his lowest points in life. “You don’t really know the story. I was broke as f—, she saved my f—— life,” he said about the interaction.
As for social media criticism about his wife’s appearance, Hardick toldEbony,“That’s just weird. There’s nothing to really break down on that.”
“Do we really think there’s a god up top matching people together because of their color?” he added. " That’s a disrespect of God. There’s a lot of ignorance. … Flyness has no color to it; beauty has no color to it; power has no color to it.”
source: people.com
