You Have To See All The Couples At The 2026 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Event
Take a look at the couples who turned the star-studded occasion into date night—or make that day.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: (L-R) Nnamdi Asomugha, Kerry Washington, Zinzi Coogler, and Ryan Coogler attend the 2026 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards on March 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Amid the queens celebrated as honorees, and those cheering them on from the audience, we’re always filled with joy to see so much Black brilliance in the room during ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood. Another thing that warms our hearts? Witnessing Black love, too.
To be honest, at a celebration like this, we’re used to seeing the sisterhood kind of love: mothers and daughters, sisters, and good girlfriends. But every now and then, a few couples pop out for our beloved fête. This time, we spotted more pairs than ever before.
From Ryan Coogler and Zinzi Coogler, to Kerry Washington and Nnamdi Asomugha, and newlyweds DeVon Franklin and Maria Castillo—and let’s not forget Niecy Nash-Betts and her wife Jessica Betts—love was certainly in the air, in more ways than one.
As we roll out all the beauty from the 19th annual ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood event, take a look at the couples who turned the occasion into date night—or make that day.
The 2026 ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood event is available to stream on ESSENCE’s YouTube starting Saturday, March 14: Watch Here
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Delroy Lindo and Nashormeh N. R. Lindo
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: (L-R) Nashormeh N. R. Lindo and Delroy Lindo attend the 2026 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
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DeVon Franklin and Maria Castillo
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: (L-R) DeVon Franklin and Maria Castillo attend the 2026 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
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Pinky Cole Hayes and Derrick Hayes
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: (L-R) Pinky Cole Hayes and Derrick Hayes attend the 2026 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
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Wunmi Mosaku and Tash Moseley
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: (L-R) Wunmi Mosaku and Tash Moseley attend the 2026 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards on March 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
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Ryan and Zinzi Coogler
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: (L-R) Ryan Coogler and Zinzi Coogler attend the 2026 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards on March 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
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Kevin and Melissa Fredericks
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: (L-R) Melissa Fredericks and Kevin Fredericks attend the 2026 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
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Niecy Nash and Jessica Betts
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: (L-R) Jessica Betts and Niecy Nash-Betts attend the 2026 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
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Kerry Washington and Nnamdi Asomugha
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: (L-R) Nnamdi Asomugha, Kerry Washington, Zinzi Coogler, and Ryan Coogler attend the 2026 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards on March 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
