Gina Rodriguez and her husband, Joe LoCicero, fell in love in Hollywood.
The two met on the set of Jane the Virgin in 2016, where Rodriguez portrayed the titular character and LoCicero played a stripper. They got married in 2019 and haven’t been shy about sharing their love for each other with the world since.
In a January 2019 interview with Cosmopolitan, Rodriguez opened up about her relationship with LoCicero, saying that dating him was a “new experience for me because I put myself first.”
She added, “For so long, I put every man in front of me. As a successful woman, it’s so hard because of our cultural norms that, like, the man has to be the breadwinner! And the man has to be the more powerful one. It was so difficult for me to find a man who didn’t want me to dim my light for his ego.”
Four years after tying the knot, Rodriguez and LoCicero became parents when they welcomed a son named Charlie Ray in March 2023.
So, who is Gina Rodriguez’s husband? Here’s everything to know about Joe LoCicero and his relationship with the actress.
He is an actor
LoCicero is also an actor and is best known for his role as Vincent “Vinny” Walker on the longtime CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful.
Before he landed the role in 2019, Rodriguez had previously starred in the drama from 2011 to 2012. When LoCicero’s character was killed off in 2021, he told Soap Opera Digest that he “loved” playing Vinny. “I had a lot of fun working with Matt [Atkinson, Thomas]. We always had a good time with our scenes. It was just a joy,” he added.
LoCicero has also had roles in Jane the Virgin and the films Miss Bala and Someone Great — both of which Rodriguez was the lead in. Most recently, he made a cameo in his wife’s Netflix movie Players.
The two met on the set of Jane the Virgin
Rodriguez and LoCicero first met on the set of Jane the Virgin in 2016 for a season 2 episode. LoCicero played a stripper who had been hired by Rodriguez’s character Jane’s mother for a bachelorette party.
In a 2019 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Rodriguez said of the scene, “Jane is, like, super against it and super terrified and just, like, doesn’t know what to do with all that. But Gina does.”
The two didn’t get together immediately after meeting, though. She explained that they crossed paths again six months later while working out. “It was the boxing gym that brought [us] together,” she shared.
In a July 2017 interview with Bust Magazine, Rodriguez said that she didn’t even recognize LoCicero the second time they met.
“He came in through the door and I was like, ‘Good God!’ and I fell into his eyeballs,” she told the publication. “On the fourth day [that we saw each other at the gym], he asked me out, and I have been dating him ever since. Now I know what it means to date your best friend.”
They got married in 2019
After dating for two years, the couple got engaged in July 2018. The following month, she confirmed to PEOPLE that the special moment had happened a few weeks prior.
“ He’s the best,” she said. “He’s the f—— best. We’ve been engaged for like a month — I’ve kept it a secret for a while.”
The two got married on May 4, 2019. Rodriguez had discussed how she wanted to have a stress-free wedding when she appeared as a guest on The Talk. “There was a point when I was like, ‘Everybody arrange everything.’ I just wanted to show up,” she said. “I just want to do it. I want to say ‘I do.’ I’m happy.”
He’s a fighter
It’s no surprise that Rodriguez and LoCicero met at a boxing gym, because boxing is a true passion for LoCicero. He is a Muay Thai (Thai boxing) fighter, and in 2018, he became the new WCK Middleweight California Amateur Muay Thai Champion.
In June 2018, LoCicero shared a photo of himself and Rodriguez after a boxing match on his Instagram, adding the caption, “I didn’t want to turn 30 without a #muaythai belt.”
Rodriguez is also a fan of the workout. In a September 2017 interview with Shape, she talked about how she had been training in Muay Thai alongside LoCicero, and even traveled to Thailand to learn from the pros.
“ It’s mind over matter, you’re pushing yourself,” she said. “What I like best about it is the sense of inner strength it gives me.”
He and Rodriguez are parents
On her 30th birthday in July 2022, Rodriguez announced that the couple were expecting their first child with a sweet video on Instagram. The post featured personal footage of Rodriguez and LoCicero together, including the moment they found out they were pregnant. She captioned it, “This birthday hits different.”
LoCicero also shared his own words of excitement on Instagram. “The love of my life is now carrying the new love of my life inside of her!” he captioned a video of spiritual guru Sadhguru speaking about children. “I am exploding with joy every minute of the day. I could not be more excited for this incredible responsibility! #pregnant.”
A month later, Rodriguez spoke about her pregnancy to PEOPLE, saying that she was feeling “excited,” “overwhelmed,” and “ like a superwoman.”
In March 2023, Rodriguez’s agent confirmed to PEOPLE that they had welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Charlie Ray. The next month, she told PEOPLE that her son’s first and middle names were both inspired by family members who have since died. “So Charlie holds a lot of beautiful ancestors in his name,” she said.
For his first Father’s Day celebration, Rodriguez dedicated a tribute to LoCicero on Instagram. “I knew it when I met you that I found a man like no other,” she wrote alongside family photos. “When I walked down the aisle and you cried tears of joy, I knew I found someone extra special. I knew a great man would make a great dad.”
He cares about the environment
LoCicero has a public Instagram page, but doesn’t share much on there. Most of his posts feature cute photos of Rodriguez and him, and there are a few of baby Charlie, as well as a lot dedicated to boxing.
Another topic he regularly posts about is information on #SaveSoil, a movement that aims to increase organic matter in soil to improve fruits and vegetables and the environment as a whole. Over the years, LoCicero has posted photos and videos of his time outdoors. He’s also called out the connection between Rodriguez and his passion for the Earth.
“Her Health and her Joy are the most important things on this planet to me,” he wrote alongside an Instagram photo of his wife. “None of us can be Healthy or Joyful if the soil we walk upon, grow our food out of and ultimately are made of is not Healthy and Joyful as well. Let us all do our part to care for the Health and Joy of this planet: our Mother Earth. #SaveSoil.”