There will probably be a South African in the White House soon, even if it is in an unofficial capacity.
Melissa Cohen Biden (33), a South African expatriate from Johannesburg married Hunter Biden (50), the son of US President-elect Joe Biden, in a secret ceremony at her Los Angeles home on May 16 2019, according to SA People.
The wedding reportedly took place between six and 10 days after the pair met. Biden told ABC that he “instantly fell in love with her. And then [he has] fallen in love with her more every day.”
Cohen and Biden met through a mutual friend. The friend in question wrote Cohen’s phone number onto Biden’s hand and insisted that he call her.
Evidently, Biden was immediately taken with Cohen — he got a “Shalom” tattoo identical to hers within days of their meeting.
They were married in Cohen’s apartment and neither bride nor groom had their families in attendance. The wedding photos were captured by a friend on a smartphone camera.
Biden immediately called up his father to share the news of the nuptial and Biden Sr. apparently thanked Cohen for “giving my son the courage to love again.”
Cohen, who became a naturalised American citizen, is a documentary filmmaker. She is passionate about social justice issues including the environment, abused and endangered animals and mistreated indigenous peoples, workers and refugees, according to Good Things Guy.
In March 2020, Cohen gave birth to their first child, a baby boy. This is Biden’s fifth child — he has three daughters from his first marriage and a fourth from a short previous relationship.
For the uninitiated, South Africa now has a pretty strong link to the White House, through Joe Biden’s son Hunter, who married South African Melissa Cohen last year (after knowing each other for 6 days.) pic.twitter.com/jaIkLBUozl
— Derek Alberts (@derekalberts1) November 7, 2020
Picture: Twitter/@derekalberts1