David Oyelowo's Wife Jessica Oyelowo Continues to Support Him in His Career

When David Oyelowo and his wife are not sharing the silver screen, the actress has been her husband's right-hand throughout his career endeavors. The couple has been married for over 20 years, and David Oyelowo revealed the one rule that has been the secret to their long-lasting marriage.

After David Oyelowo and his wife, Jessica Oyelowo, met in school, the two English actors fell in love and pursued careers in the film industry. David Oyelowo has many well-known movie titles, including playing Dr. Martin Luther King in the Oscar-nominated film, "Selma."

Jessica Oyelowo is a well-known actress in her own right and is commonly known for her role in "Sleepy Hollow" in 1999. However, off camera, she has been a supportive wife for over two decades, and her husband has not been shy about gushing about his wife and marriage.

David Says His Wife Knows Him Better than Anyone Else

In 2020, David's career reached new heights when he made his directorial debut in the film "The Water Man." David directed, produced, and starred in the movie Emma Needell wrote, revealing that the storyline moved him.

"It's a story about love and the things we're prepared to do for love," David said of "The Water Man," which follows Lonnie Chavis from "This is Us" hunting down The Water Man to save his dying mother's life.

Despite David's excitement to take on the project, he revealed that he leaned on his wife—who knows him "better than anyone else in the world"—for advice, especially during the first two weeks of filming. The actor said:

"...I knew that if I was faking it in any way, she would be the one to be able to call it out. After every take, I would look towards her for the thumbs up or the thumbs down. Thankfully, there were more thumbs up than down."

Oprah Winfrey is another woman who had David's back during his directorial debut. In addition to having his back, she is his friend, and they shared the silver screen in "The Butler" and "Selma," the latter she also produced.

He revealed that the former live television show host had been an unwavering supporter of his and said, "from the moment I met her, she's just been a huge advocate of mine and a big believer in me. It's why she came alongside me."

Jessica and David's Date Nights Continue

Since meeting over twenty years ago, Jessica and David have kept the romance in their marriage alive and often take to Instagram to document their date nights. In February 2022, Jessica captured the moment she surprised her husband with tickets to watch UFC boxers Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker go toe to toe in honor of Valentine's Day.

"I really love my husband," she captioned the post in part. On April 28, David and Jessica channeled their inner cowboy and girl and enjoyed a date night at a live rodeo.

That same month, the married couple was the picture of bliss as they danced in a beautiful ballroom, and in the caption, Jessica revealed:

"Life can hit you hard from all the angles, so we try really hard to love and support each other no matter what levels of crazy are going on around us or even because of us. He lifts me up, and I lift him up. Then life becomes a beautiful dance."

In another Instagram post, the actress opened up about the importance of date nights and shared that they allowed her and David to prioritize each other while balancing parenthood. "We think we become a family when we have kids, but you were a family as a couple before those babies rocked your world," Jessica wrote.

They Made a Promise to Never Be Apart for More than 2 Weeks in Their Lives

As a schoolboy, David held onto his faith whenever he was bullied. And after joining a drama group, he met Jessica, a born-again Christian. By the time they were in their 20s, the two actors were engaged and endured teasing for their choice to abstain from sex until they were married, as part of their religious beliefs.

During an interview, the "Selma" star revealed that his and Jessica's marriage had stood the test of time thanks to their choices during their relationship's early stages. The couple also promised each other never to go longer than two weeks without seeing each other.

After he and his wife saw multiple marriages end in divorce in the film industry, David revealed that he insisted on having the two-week rule included in his contracts. And although they were first mocked for the practices that have kept their marriage going, they have now started a trend. David said:

"So much (of what) we have done in our life together was mocked. And to be perfectly frank, we're having the last laugh. I love my wife even more than I did 24 years ago. Our marriage is strong."

David and Jessica Share 4 Kids

Since tying the knot in 1998, David and Jessica have welcomed three sons and a daughter. Similarly to their date nights, the couple often turns to social media to share glimpses of their family of six. In June 2021, David shared an Oyelowo family photo in honor of Father's Day, and in the caption, he revealed, "the greatest blessing of my life? Being a father."

That same year, Jessica and David posed for the camera with their children for Mother's Day, and while celebrating his wife, David paid tribute to his late mother. And in 2023, David, Jessica, and their kids were the picture of a happy family as they gathered to celebrate Easter.