Jonathan Roumie might play Jesus on The Chosen, but off-screen he’s similar to the character he plays too. Roumie doesn’t have a wife or children, and has confirmed that he is still waiting for his “special someone.” At 51 years old, the actor admits that marriage and relationships haven’t exactly come easy. “According to the internet, I’m married to a woman named Diane in Canada,” he once joked. “I don’t know who that person is. Apparently, we have a child I haven’t met. So yeah, none of that’s true. I’m not married to anyone. I’m certainly not married to Diane—though I’m sure she’s lovely.”
What’s surprising is that, despite his global fame, Roumie says he’s been quite unlucky in love. He even confessed, “I would rather be single and wait for the right person than rush into something that isn’t aligned with my faith and values.” That mindset has kept him selective. His faith is the non-negotiable. He’s not looking for a casual fling; he wants a partner walking the same spiritual path. Or as he put it, “I’m looking for someone who is kind, compassionate, and loves the Lord with all her heart.”
Still, being Jesus comes with some very unconventional dating challenges. Roumie told Sheri Shepherd that fans don’t just ask for selfies—they ask him to baptize their kids, officiate their weddings, and, yes, marry them. “I’ve even been offered marriage proposals,” he laughed. But not every encounter has been sweet. At one faith conference, a woman handed him a book. Inside was a hotel key. Fans online were stunned. “Was not expecting that hotel key story,” one wrote. Another commented, “Can’t say I blame the lady for trying.”
If Roumie wasn’t already under enough pressure playing Jesus, fans also keep a close eye on his friendships. When he appeared on The View, he and Whoopi Goldberg hit it off. They even became close after she later invited him to SNL. Roumie described her as his “fairy godmother,” and he’s been seen doing impressions of her on Sherri. Yet some fans weren’t thrilled, warning him to “be careful” about being friends with her.
The truth is, Roumie doesn’t view singleness as a curse. He treats it as preparation. “I’ve prayed for God to send me someone who not only compliments me, but who also shares the same passion for serving God,” he said. That patience might explain why he seems at peace waiting for the right person rather than bending to pressure.
Jonathan Roumie hit The View this week looking like he’d just walked off The Chosen set, then Ana Navarro hit him with the big one. Could he play Jesus without faith? “I don’t think it would have the same kind of authenticity…” he said, admitting the role even pushed him to love people better.
Still, the irony isn’t lost on people. He’s the man who plays Jesus—single, saint-like, spiritual—and in his real life, he’s single too. And for those hoping to see him in a different light, Roumie is set to star in the romantic comedy Solo Mio alongside Alyson Hannigan. Maybe pretending to fall in love on-screen will bring Jonathan Roumie closer to finding a wife off-screen. Stranger things have happened. Anything is possible with God.
