Comedian, actor, and writer Joel Kim Booster has officially married his longtime partner, John-Michael Sudsina, in a celebration that feels both intimate and deeply symbolic.
The couple tied the knot on New Year’s Eve in San Francisco, surrounded by close friends, chosen family, and fellow queer creatives who have been part of their lives for years.
Booster shared the news with characteristic warmth and humor, marking the moment not as a spectacle, but as a deeply personal milestone rooted in gratitude and love.
Their relationship began in 2021 after the two met in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, a place Booster has jokingly referred to as “gay Disneyland,” and what started as a vacation romance quickly grew into something lasting.
Sudsina works as a creative producer in the gaming industry and has largely stayed out of the spotlight despite being a steady presence alongside Booster.
That balance between public and private has long defined their partnership, with Booster frequently crediting Sudsina as grounding, supportive, and quietly essential to his life.
In 2024, the couple announced their engagement after Booster proposed on Jeju Island in South Korea, the place of his birth before being adopted and raised in the United States.
The proposal carried particular emotional weight for Booster, who has spoken openly about reconnecting with his origins and reclaiming parts of his identity that once felt distant or inaccessible.
Booster’s personal journey has often informed his work, from his stand-up comedy to his writing and acting roles, all of which center queer experience with humor, honesty, and cultural specificity.
He is best known for co-writing and starring in Fire Island, a modern queer reimagining of Pride and Prejudice, and for his role on the Apple TV+ series Loot.
As an openly gay Korean adoptee who grew up in a conservative evangelical environment, Booster has been candid about the long road to self-acceptance and visibility.
That openness has made moments like his wedding resonate beyond celebrity news, landing instead as a reminder of what queer adulthood and stability can look like.
The New Year’s Eve ceremony reportedly blended elegance with humor, mirroring the couple’s shared values and the community they have built around them.
Friends including fellow comedians and actors were in attendance, creating a space that felt less like a red-carpet event and more like a chosen-family gathering.
In an era when queer relationships are still politicized and scrutinized, Booster and Sudsina’s marriage reads as both joyful and quietly radical.
It is not framed as an endpoint, but as a continuation of a partnership that has already weathered growth, change, and public life.
For fans who have followed Booster’s career and evolution, the wedding feels like a full-circle moment rooted in safety, love, and self-determination.
And for queer audiences more broadly, it is another visible reminder that happiness does not have to be loud to be powerful.
Sometimes it looks like two people choosing each other, year after year, and finally saying yes in a room full of love.
📷 IG: @ ihatejoelkim