TrendPulse|Ali Wong Makes Rare Comment on Co-parenting Relationship With Ex Justin Hakuta

Ali Wong knows that family is TrendPulsealways (not maybe) forever.

That’s why more than two years after ending her marriage to Justin Hakuta, the Beef star and the entrepreneur are still close.

“I understand that some people really need to cut the cord,” Ali—who is now dating Bill Hader—told InStyle about maintaining a relationship with her ex-husband in an interview published Oct. 8. “But that never worked for me.”

Together, Ali, 42, and Justin, 41, who split in 2022, are the parents of daughter Mari, 8, and Nikki, 6. And while they do things differently when it comes to navigating the new chapter of their lives and raising their kids, they’ve managed to form a dynamic that works.

“Divorces are like snowflakes,” she explained. “There’s truly no two alike.” 

The comedian put their amicable bond on display while accepting the award for Best Actress in a Limited Series at the 2024 Golden Globes.

"I really need to thank the father of my children and my best friend Justin for all of your love and support,” Ali said at the time. “It's because of you that I'm able to be a working mother.”

The Always Be My Maybe star’s thank you to Justin came the same night that she and Bill went public with their relationship. 

And not only do Ali and Justin get along, Bill—who shares three daughters with ex Maggie Carey—fits right into the blended family. In fact, Ali shared insight into an outing she had with Bill, Justin, and her daughters when they went to the Smithsonian to see her dress from Baby Cobra—which was filmed while she was pregnant with her oldest.

“The last time I saw that dress live was last summer when it was on display at the Smithsonian. And my daughters came with me there, and Bill [Hader] happened to be visiting me, and my ex-husband was with me, too,” she told InStyle. “And it was really, really nice. And my daughter Mari, like, pointed to my stomach [in the display]. She's like, that's me. She and my other daughter do take a lot of pride in the fact that they were onstage with me. It's very sweet.”

Keep reading for more stars who are friendly with their exes…

No, they are never, ever, ever getting back together. But at this point—between the birthday parties, the friendly embraces and even freaking acting out a sexual fantasy in a star-studded virtual reading of Fast Times at Ridgemont High—it feels like the former Hollywood golden couple is just taunting us. 

You know you're cool when you can pop into your ex's talk show and give him a hard time. Such was the case when Sarah turned up on Jimmy's stage to chat about her new show, I Love You, America and his "cute," "bright," "funny" wife Molly Kimmel. "It's not fair!" she cracked. "She gets, like, new woke Jimmy. I had Man Show Jimmy."

TBH, we might still be mourning this relationship harder than either of its participants. Because when Anna—now married to cinematographer Michael Barrett—heard that Pratt was set to wed Katherine Schwarzenegger in 2019, she offered to officiate. She even sent over a gift after the newlyweds welcomed daughter Lyla in August 2020. Thrilled for son Jack to become a big brother, a source told E! News at the time that Anna "is very supportive." 

It would have been super easy for the exes' relationship to become a flop. But more than four years after a messy split, the HGTV stars are still killing it at two projects: parenting kids Taylor and Brayden and turning run-down properties into someone else's dream home.

Literally "best friends" as the rocker put it in a 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the parents to actress Zoe Kravitz still consider themselves kin. "We're one big happy family," Lenny said of his ex, who went on to wed Jason Momoa before their 2020 split. "It's beautiful, and it just shows you what can be done."

Since their 2015 breakup, the parents to Violet, Seraphina and Samuel have hit the conscious uncoupling trifecta: Joint vacations, shared holidays and public displays of admiration with Ben dubbing his ex "an amazing mother" during a 2016 interview with E! News. 

Nina and Ian may have called it quits in 2013 after three years of dating, but they've remained close friends since then. In 2014, the Vampire Diaries star started dating Nikki Reed and tied the knot later that year. Naturally, Dobrev befriended the Twilight actress.

The two called it quits in July 2016 after five years together. The singer said on SiriusXM's The Howard Stern Show the following October that she's "very close" to Kinney, adding, "He's been my lover and a friend for so long."

"We love each other," she said. "That's it."

The Office's on-and-off pairing remained so tantalizingly close after the series wrapped in 2013 that even Mindy gets why people are still shipping them. "If I was on the outside looking at it, I would think the same thing," she told Good Housekeeping in 2019 of naming him godparent to her kids. "But the truth is that B.J. is so much more like family now than a platonic friend."

The exes had no trouble coparenting their son, Bronx, after finalizing their divorce back in 2011. The Fall Out Boy singer has even said his former wife is "an awesome mom."

So she's over those "7 Things" then? The JoBro musician has said he's "really friendly" with his ex. "We've got a good relationship."

The Dexter stars first met on set in 2006 before things got romantic in 2008. And although they divorced in 2011, Jennifer assured there was "nothing but love and respect" between the exes a few years later. 

Long the gold standard of copacetic exes, the parents to daughters Rumer, Tallulah and Scout remain so tight that the decision to ride out coronavirus stay-at-home orders together in Idaho was a no-brainer. Quarantine dance party anyone?

Some four years after their 2014 divorce, Lopez was still giving her former spouse, dad to her twins Max and Emme, props. "While I was married to Marc, he really helped me with my confidence and he saw where I suffered," she said on a 2018 episode of Sunday Today. "He was like, 'You're a great singer. Don't ever let anybody tell you you're not a great singer.' And I respected him so much 'cause I consider him one of the best singers of all time."

Even if it hasn't been his day, his week, his month or even his year, the actress will be there for her former husband and Scream costar. "I mean, as divorces go, I would say it's one of the better ones. For sure," she shared on Running Wild With Bear Grylls eight years after their 2010 split. Raising daughter Coco, she continued, "We're good co-parents together."

Their real life romance may have fizzled in 2007. However, that doesn't mean the two couldn't heat up the screen in the 2011 movie Bad Teacher.

Sure, the initial few months of their 2013 split were rough going, but the actors have now reached the group vacation stage of their divorce. "I really like her husband and I think he's a great guy," the Twilight alum told LaPalme Magazine of a 2017 trip to Cancun that included Garth, Dave Abrams, Peter's now-fiancée Lily Anne Harrison and their three daughters Luca, Lola and Fiona. As for his relationship with Jennie, he continued, "People come into your life for a reason and relationships can change," he told LaPalme. "Just because we aren't living together doesn't mean you can't love each other."

Despite a surprise separation in September 2012, the couple decided to put on a united front for their children. "As you know, Will and I are very, very good friends," she explained during a 2014 interview with Howard Stern. "We are doing a really good job. I don't think a 10-year marriage constitutes a failure. I think relationships are really tough."