Late-Night Love! Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearney Spill Secrets to Mixing Marriage and Comedy—Without Losing Their Minds

In a Hollywood marriage where work, kids, and comedy collide, Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearney have found the magic formula — and it’s got a lot less to do with red carpets and a lot more to do with Postmates and pajamas.

At the 2024 Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Gala, the couple opened up exclusively to PEOPLE about what really keeps their marriage strong while working side-by-side in one of television’s most demanding environments.

Their answer? Compartmentalization, thick skin, and late-night takeout.

“We worked together for eight years before dating,” said McNearney, who serves as executive producer and co-head writer on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

“So we really just kind of kept that the same.

We know how to compartmentalize.”

That “compartmentalizing” includes McNearney pitching jokes to her husband — and occasionally getting shot down by him.

“It can be difficult when I pitch ideas and get rejected by my husband,” she admitted with a laugh.

“But it’s okay.

I’ve got thick skin.”

Jimmy, 57, was quick to jump in: “I get rejected plenty, believe me.”

Despite the occasional creative clash, McNearney reassured: “We’re doing great.

We’re doing really great.”

The couple, who married in 2013, make no secret of the fact that work never truly stops—even outside the office.

Brainstorming is a constant, whether they’re at the dinner table, driving, or literally asleep.

“No. Never. Not even sleep,” Kimmel confessed when asked if there’s ever a cut-off from the show.

“He’ll wake up in the middle of the night like, ‘Let’s write this down,’” McNearney added.

“Or in the car, he’ll say, ‘Get your phone and write this down.’ The brain is always working.”

But even relentless creativity can’t keep them from one beloved ritual: “hot” date nights in bed with Netflix.

“Our date nights are like, lying in bed watching TV,” Kimmel said.

“So hot,” McNearney teased.

“That is a nice night for us.

To not do anything is the best kind of date.

Postmates and Netflix — or Hulu, of course.”

Their relaxed domestic style is a far cry from Hollywood glitz, but it’s exactly what works for this power couple, who are also parents to daughter Jane, 10, and son Billy, 8.

Kimmel also shares two adult children — Katie, 33, and Kevin, 31 — with his first wife, Gina Maddy.

Of all their shared accomplishments, supporting Children’s Hospital Los Angeles remains deeply personal.

In 2017, Billy was born with a life-threatening congenital heart condition and underwent emergency surgery at CHLA.

The hospital saved his life — and earned the family’s lifelong gratitude.

“It’s great to know this hospital is here,” Kimmel said.

“They’re not just good at what they do medically — they’re amazing with parents.

That’s rare.

For us, it’s incredibly personal.”

This year, the couple served as honorary chairs at the CHLA Gala, lending their voices, visibility, and humor to a cause that has literally touched their family’s heart.

“When we had to decide where to get our son operated on, we talked to a lot of doctors,” Kimmel recalled.

“We decided this was the best place.

And we feel strongly that we made the right decision. ”

So while they may spend their nights riffing on politics, celebrities, and whatever chaos hits the news cycle, Jimmy and Molly’s real superpower is something far more relatable: balancing marriage, parenting, and professional chaos with laughter, love, and a good Wi-Fi signal.

Because in the Kimmel household, the best punchlines happen off-camera — preferably with snacks in bed.