Felipe Esparza and Lesa Esparza attend Dodgers Comedy Night at The Orpheum Theatre on May 08, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.Photo:Charley Gallay/Getty
Charley Gallay/Getty
Lesa ODaniel Esparza isn’t just Felipe Esparza’s producing partner — she’s also his wife!
The stand-up comedian and actor met his wife at a comedy club. They were together foreight yearsbefore tying the knot in December 2014.
Felipe often jokes about Lesa, including in his HBO comedy specialTranslate This.But Lesa doesn’t just provide material for her husband’s comedy, she is also his partner in business. Lesa has executive produced all of his stand-up specials, including his Feb. 11 Netflix specialRaging Fool, which she also directed.
Working and sharing their lives together over the years has built a tight bond between Felipe and Lesa. In 2018, she wrote onInstagramthat he is the “love of” her life. Six years later, on their10th wedding anniversaryin 2024, Lesa wrote of her husband, “No one else I’d rather do life with.”
Felipe penned a heartfelt message for his wife’s birthday in 2019, writing onFacebook, “Happy Birthday to my beautiful,smart ,free spirit wife. Thank you for not giving up on me even when I was giving up on myself.”
So, who is Felipe Esparza’s wife? Here’s everything to know about Lesa ODaniel Esparza and her relationship with the comedian.
Felipe Esparza smiles with wife Lesa Esparza at a L.A. Dodgers MLB game in April 2015.Felipe Esparza/ Facebook
Felipe Esparza/ Facebook
Lesa attended college in Dayton, Ohio.
According to herLinkedIn, she studied at Wright State University from 1990 to 1994, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She then received an MBA in industrial and organizational psychology from Baruch College in New York City.
Before becoming Felipe’s producing partner, Lesa worked at Lazard and Goldman Sachs.
Lesa Esparza and Felipe Esparza pose at The Ice House on March 5, 2009 in Pasadena, California.Michael Schwartz/WireImage
Michael Schwartz/WireImage
Felipe met his wife at the famous Laugh Factory. Lesa worked at the Los Angeles comedy club from November 2006 until 2008, per herFacebook.
A love of comedy isn’t the only interest the couple share, either. They are also both big fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In 2016, Lesa shared a snapshot of the two of them sporting Dodgers gear. Alongside theInstagramphoto, she wrote, “With my love in our favorite place. Left Field Pavilion @Dodgers stadium. #NLCS #goDoyers! #ITFDB.”
Felipe Esparza and wife Lesa Esparza attend the Latino International Film Festival on June 2, 2021 in Hollywood, California.Albert L. Ortega/Getty
Albert L. Ortega/Getty
Lesa and Felipe wed onDec. 13, 2014. The talent manager described their nuptials as the “perfect day” and “just awesome.”
Reflecting on their wedding, Lesa wrote onInstagram, “Rarely do things turn out the way you plan but this entire day did. Thank you to everyone who joined us. We loved having you there & had such a good time. I am excited for my life with my new husband.”
Felipe Esparza perfoms onstage at the Miami Festival of Laughs at James L Knight Center on January 14, 2017 in Miami, Florida.Johnny Louis/FilmMagic
Johnny Louis/FilmMagic
Lesa handles “the day-to-day management affairs” of her husband’s career, and together they run Felipe’s World, Inc., per her LinkedIn. She has also served as an executive producer on Felipe’s specials.
While discussing his HBO specialTranslate Thisin 2017, Felipe toldNBC News, “My wife is my business partner and manager. We saved up some money, and we got a crew together, and we did the whole thing.”
She continued, “We have had a vision for each of the 4 specials we’ve made and this one is no exception. While the goal these days is to have something to chop up into bite-sized bits to use as promotion, Felipe and I still believe in the art of the full length comedy special being… SPECIAL.”
Felipe Esparza and wife Lesa Esparza with her son.Felipe Esparza/ X
Felipe Esparza/ X
Lesa has a child named Ike from a previous relationship. Her “smart, funny, caring” son, who is “a talented musician,” was born inMay 2004.
In 2016, Felipe explained why he refers to Ike as his stepson and not his son. He replied to oneFacebookuser, “No he’s my step son. He still has his dad in his life almost every day. I feel like his dad too but I don’t want to take away from his real dad.”
Before he married Lesa, the comedian had at least two kids and now has at least two grandkids, perReal 92.3 LA.
Lesa Esparza and Felipe Esparza attend the Latino International Film Festival on June 2, 2021 in Los Angeles, CA.Chelsea Lauren/LALIFF/Shutterstock
Chelsea Lauren/LALIFF/Shutterstock
On more than one occasion, Lesa has dubbed the comedian the “love of” her life. She expressed her pride in her husband and gushed over him in a touching birthday tribute in 2018.
“Happiest of birthdays to this little man… now my big man. The love of my life @felipeesparzacomedian,” she captioned a throwback photo of Felipe as a child. “So proud of how you’ve turned your life around and grown leaps and bounds in the years that we’ve been together. I love you 💖💖💖.”
source: people.com