Jenny Slate announced her engagement to Ben Shattuck, her boyfriend of a year

Were we too mean about Jenny Slate? Perhaps. In fairness, I tried to cover Jenny Slate as a “fun gossip story” not as “Jenny Slate has no business dating Captain America,” which is what Chris Evans’ fanbase always yelled about. From a pure gossip angle, Jenny Slate’s relationship with Chris was fascinating – she basically dumped her husband as soon as she saw an opening with Chris, and then she and Chris had a messy on-and-off relationship which involved Jenny pouring her guts out to journalists on the reg. By Spring 2018, Jenny and Chris were done. By Fall ‘18, she was spilling her guts in interviews about getting back into the dating world. By January ‘19, she made her couple-debut with an artist named Ben Shattuck. And now Jenny and Ben are engaged. She announced the engagement on Instagram with a slideshow and this message:

He took me to France and made a picnic and made me feel happy and free and then he asked me to marry him and i screamed YES. I love you @benshattuck_art, you are the kindest and brightest and I am so grateful and here we go and keep going ❤️🎈❤️

[From Instagram]

Ben also shared some images from their French getaway on his Instagram, which I’m including below. Congrats to them – I actually haven’t heard anything about them in months? Which is probably a good thing. I have a thought and people might yell at me, but here it is: I think Jenny is just the kind of woman who has no idea who she is when she’s single. Call it serial monogamy, call it “She Can’t Be Alone,” but I definitely think Jenny is that person. And truly, there are men like that too, it’s not just a lady thing. I think Ben is the reason why she’s been so lowkey this year, why she’s not giving interview after interview about her life. She has someone to be wrapped up in and that makes her happy. That’s my read on it.

Photos courtesy of Instagram.

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89 Responses to “Jenny Slate announced her engagement to Ben Shattuck, her boyfriend of a year”

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  1. Sarah says:

    Her soul is teal.

  2. tempest prognosticator says:

    Mazel, love birds.

  3. A says:

    She seems happy. I’m glad for her – she seemed pretty broken up over Evans.

    Also, the guy is cute.

  4. Erinn says:

    She just kind of bums me out. I don’t find her particularly funny… and the way her relationships play out in the media just shows so much thirst. I don’t think she’s some inherently bad person… she just makes me feel sort of sad, I guess.

    I do hope she’s happy though – she’s been pretty clear about looking for marriage, and if this guys a good guy who’s into that dream of hers, I think it’ll be fine.

    • Kitten says:

      She’s only three years younger than me but appears to have the emotional maturity of the average twenty-something–emphasis on “average”.
      But hey, if she’s happy then that’s great.

    • Valiantly Varnished says:

      This sums up how I feel about her too. She bums me out. And also high-key annoys because of the obvious thirst and low self-esteem in regards to men. Like I want her to buck tf up. Like I feel like at 37/38 you shouldn’t still be making such immature choices. Or looking to be fulfilled by another person. This sounds mean but I honestly get why Chris ran for the hills. I get the distinct feeling that emotionally she is a LOT.

  5. EnnuiAreTheChampions says:

    She seems sweet. Maybe a bit of an oversharer, but that’s hardly a crime. I’m happy for her.

  6. Lisa says:

    Congrats to them. Hope it works out.

  7. Jb says:

    Good luck Ben, basically…..

  8. Kittycat says:

    Happy for her!

  9. Snowslow says:

    Why do we criticise this lady so much again? She dated ‘out of her league’? She shared her messy thoughts like Amy Schumer who now everyone loves because she loves autism?
    She seems the ‘quirky’ too clever for her own good, but with hormones and desires kind of girl. Maybe the marriage with her husband wasn’t great anyway. Maybe it didn’t work out with Captain America. Maybe it won’t work out with this guy. SO what? If she was a man, we’d be praising him for sharing his thoughts and being open, and not counting how many relationships he had.

    • Starkiller says:

      Amen, because it’s not as if men don’t date women “hotter” than them all the time. Personally I don’t even see what’s so great about captain America, I don’t even find him attractive physically and his personality is extremely offputting.

    • OriginalLala says:

      yeah, I don’t quite get the criticism of her – she seems refreshingly earnest for a celebrity

    • BL says:

      Snowslow- Yes! You took the words right out of my mouth.

      • Bookie says:

        I love Jenny Slate! I think she was out of Captain America’s league. He doesn’t strike me as a deep thinker.

  10. Mia4s says:

    “Call it serial monogamy, call it “She Can’t Be Alone,” but I definitely think Jenny is that person.“

    I think you likely nailed it @Kaiser. She was unhappy in her marriage, but I doubt she would have left unless she had (or thought she had) the Chris option long-term waiting in the wings. And now first date to engaged in less than a year?…well, best of luck. (Yes commenters I know your Aunt Susan did the same and has been married for 78 years. I’m talking in general and in context of her history).

    • Enn says:

      Not my Aunt Susan, but me. 11 months from first date to the ring.

      I honestly have no idea what Jenny Slate actually does, I always get her mixed up with the girls from Broad City.

    • Kitten says:

      Yeah that was my parents but that was also over 50 years ago when that was more the norm than not. And it’s no coincidence that most of my friends’ parents divorced before we turned ten. That being said, Jenny’s 37 not 23. She’s also been married before so presumably she knows what it entails. Oh well. Mazel tov I guess.

    • mash says:

      3month a promise ring….6month to the ring….1.5 years to marriage timeline

      all together been together 2 years last july 31 2019 (wedding date)

      when you know …you know prior to that i was in several serious relationships that spanned years… if anything i thing some of the reason they failed was that they wanted me to woman up and be a wife lol i suppose…and i was all like YOU AINT IT

      then i met my now husband and ish was literally like the easiest coolest most spiritually emotionally and mentally soothing thing and timelimit be damned i guess. <3

  11. manda says:

    I’m not sure if she is one of those “can’t be alone” types, but I feel sorry for people like that. Being alone is pretty awesome a lot of the time. You can do whatever you want whenever you want and you don’t have to think about whether anyone cares about it! It’s called freedom!
    But being lonely is not awesome. Still, I feel the can’t be alones are more willing to settle, and I’d rather be lonely sometimes than with the wrong person

    • Esmom says:

      I hear you. I have a friend who’s been divorced for a couple of years and I never realized until that happened how much he is terrified to be alone. He has a tendency to want to get immediately serious with anyone he dates and understandably it drives people away. I feel like I just cannot get through to him, suggesting that he join clubs or groups or even a gym and/or take up a new hobby or two instead of trying so hard all the time to find a partner. My heart kinda breaks for him.

      • Kitten says:

        I have a friend who’s the same way. It’s hard to watch because they consistently sabotage every relationship by pushing for serious commitment right off the bat.

      • Esmom says:

        Kitten, It really is hard to watch. And with my friend he doesn’t even get to the relationship stage…he goes on a couple dates and is already thinking about moving in with the person. I know it’s cringeworthy but he cannot seem to help himself. He’s so lost and I am astonished at seeing this side of him I’ve never seen. He’s stepping up his therapy so hopefully at some point soon he’ll find more peace about being alone. Sigh.

      • Kitten says:

        If he’s like my friend, he’ll ignore our advice completely. She goes from 0 to 90 within days of meeting a person. I’ve told her time and again that for her own emotional health and self-protection, she needs to be more guarded and to play it cool in the beginning. She invests ALL of her mental and emotional energy in obsessing over these men–dissecting every word or action. It’s nuts. I’ve given her the “It Doesn’t Have to Be This Hard” and the “When You know, You Know” speech a million times but it’s all for naught. Now I just try to listen patiently and avoid giving advice. Sigh.

        She’s also in therapy but it doesn’t seem to help.

      • Esmom says:

        Kitten, He is definitely like your friend and doesn’t listen to me at all. He has pretty much done the opposite of everything I’ve advised him about (including moving long distance twice in three years), it’s been frustrating. Therapy hasn’t helped him much so far either, especially when he started to develop a crush on his therapist! But he’s really been despondent and at least recognizes he needs more support. Sigh.

      • Kitten says:

        I literally snorted when I read “He pretty much does the opposite of everything I’ve advised him about”. Gah. I relate so much.
        Developing a crush on his rapist. Holy crap. My friend said a guy she’d been dating for a few weeks and was absolutely crazy about raped her the first time they were together but she continued to see him anyway. Sigh.

    • Jb says:

      I fear my friend is that type and is settling/getting married because she doesn’t want to be alone. After being in a bad relationship that led to a short marriage (by court never a ceremony) my friend kept wanting to meet someone immediately after the break up and complaining about being alone yet she’s been in a relationship since college…like she couldn’t stand being alone. Anyways she met someone who she talked about with the enthusiasm of describing your lunch and they’re getting married in 2 months! They met in January and by March she was meeting his parents and engaged by August…I realize when you know you know but everything that has lead up to this makes me think she just wants to be married and start having kids and anyone willing will do. Obviously I haven’t said anything and been supportive but I’m scared but who knows maybe it will last forever! Anyways yes I think we all know someone like that. I was single till my 30s and never had a serious relationship till I met my husband and I enjoyed being single and had planned to do so my entire life and then I met him.

      • Esmom says:

        JB, that is so hard to witness. Like you said, maybe it will be okay but knowing it might not be and bracing for the fallout is not fun.

    • lucy2 says:

      Same here. I’m amazed how quickly some people rush into a relationship, especially after another one ends.
      I like being alone. I can’t imagine being a “can’t be alone”, it has to be hard and lead to a lot of grief.

  12. Chelly says:

    I’m looking obsessively for a new sofa. That one looks really comfy, anyone have an idea of who it’s by? Or any other suggestions! Thanks, haha

  13. stormsmama says:

    I like her a lot. And I don’t blame her for falling head over heels for Chris America…He is from Massachusetts too and they did that cute Marc Webb movie together and she got swept up…thats all fine and is what it is…
    This guy seems like step up though bc HE ALSO THINKS SHE IS AMAZING. So they are MUTUALLY in love! And I didn’t know she’s 37?! Well that might explain the rush- maybe they want BABIES!!!

    FWIW I met my now husband at 34- had first baby at 35 and married when pregnant with 2nd kid. But he and I had “the talk” within the first month of knowing each other. I think we both knew. Of course when you are older (and in his case divorced) you tend to know what has not worked and you know what you want.
    I think Jenny has probably figured that out.
    Wishing her the best.

  14. kat says:

    Here is my big question with these kinds of announcements: you’re in an abandoned castle, snuggled on the couch with your person, both reading. Who takes the instagram picture? Do you have another person there on vacation with you? Do you set your camera on a timer and then scuttle back to the couch to act natural to get the shot? #soromantic

    • Nicegirl says:

      I wondered about this as well.

    • tealily says:

      I have a friend who posted — and then reposted a year on — a “cute” photo of him and his boyfriend cuddled up “sleeping” where he obviously snapped the selfie with his eyes closed and his mouth open like he was snoring. WHY? I can’t even express how irritated it makes me when I think about this.

      Not to mention we’re nearly 40 and I don’t need to see photos of your significant other in bed. Talk about oversharing!

    • Elisa says:

      I find quirky oversharers so exhausting…

  15. Valiantly Varnished says:

    She is DEFINITELY the “can’t be alone” type. I feel sorry for women who can’t be alone and don’t know who they are outside of relationship or in relation to another person.

  16. Cupcake says:

    I feel like she wants the “fairytale.” Bet she’s pregnant within 2 years.

  17. Lena says:

    37 is when you stop looking for Mr Right and go for Mr Right Now. Hopefully they are one and the same and I hope that’s true here.

    • Valiantly Varnished says:

      That only applies to desperate women.

      • Kitten says:

        LOL seriously. Like, is it the 1950s?

      • Valiantly Varnished says:

        Im 39. And happily single. I’m not looking for Mr. Right Now. Hell Im not even really looking for Mr. Right at the moment. The idea that all women in their mid to late 30’s are desperate for a man is antiquated and silly. The only women I know like that are women like Jenny Slate. Who do seem desperate because they dont know who they are outside the confines of a relationship.

      • Kitten says:

        As someone who was single (and dating) for most of her 30s, this trope makes me insane.
        FTR, I LOVED being single: I loved the freedom and the simplicity of that lifestyle. I loved having endless time for my hobbies and my friends. My life as a single woman in her thirties was rich and satisfying.
        I f*cking HATE this bullshit narrative that every single woman is sad and lonely and searching for a man. F*ck that sh*t. Singlehood is fabulous.

    • Jaded says:

      When I was 37 all I could think about was how I wanted to leave the relationship I was in but was facing serious surgery and a longgggg recovery so I had to wait until I was 42. When I finally left him I felt like the weight of the world was off my shoulders and I could float like a balloon again. I had some “friends with benefits” relationships for years. It was great!

    • lucy2 says:

      Uh oh. I’m overdue then. Guess I better go run into the street and grab the first guy that goes by.

    • Joanna says:

      I know what you’re saying. At 37, it feels like everyone your age is married. People kept asking me why I was single, which made me feel worse. When I met my husband, he was ready to be married and so was I. Unlike 99.5% of men I dated, he actually wanted a relationship and to be married. I’m glad these other people didn’t feel that pressure but I sure did. Thankfully it worked out. I’ve also been asked why I don’t have kids. I said I didn’t want them. “Are you sure? You should definitely do it. ” I wish I had been around open minded people who understood that it’s ok to be single over 35 and not have kids.

  18. A says:

    I have a very low opinion of Jenny but if she’s happy then good for her. She needs to understand no guy is going to magically fix her low self esteem or emotional issues so if that’s what she’s expecting this time again then it won’t last. I never understood how Chris Evans tolerated her for almost a year. I honestly expected him to bail out after 3 months or something.
    And to her new guy – Good luck, man just don’t let her go on set with some hunky dude and you’ll be fine 😀

    • Yati says:

      Lol the shade but so true. Her google eyes for him on set made me an instant fan of their mess. Bless her.

      • A says:

        Not gonna lie I tried to like her when their mess was first revealed cause I was like yeah maybe he went for personality this time but her shameless trolling put me off. She managed to make Minka Kelly look like a classy person which is not an easy thing to do. No shade but to me this proved that Chris doesn’t have much love for himself cause she seems like emotionally draining mess.

  19. Yati says:

    Seems she came up the industry late and is trying to make up for lost time with her thirst. But unlike Lena Dunham who she reminds me of so much, she’s managed to curate her persona a bit better or we just don’t care cause she’s not as famous but only for riding on Captain and spilling the details. *sipping tea*

  20. Wilma says:

    I like her. She seems to be very open about her feelings. I’m sure I couldn’t be friends with her as my introverted self would run away screaming, but as a celeb I like her and her messy game. I hope she will be happy.

  21. Apalapa says:

    My friend went to school with her at Milton, a boarding school in Massachusetts. My friend thinks she’s hilarious. I, however, don’t think she is funny. Couldn’t get into obvious child. Or her SNL stuff..or Marcelle the Snail. I really tried. She seems a little precious and Lena Dunham-ish.

  22. angela says:

    She is great and I’m happy for her. I’m glad shes not with Chris because so many of his fans sent her so much hate out of jealousy… even in the replies to this post I’m still seeing some internalized misogyny. and also, Jenny dumped Chris not the other way around, so he didnt get “sick of her” or “didnt tolerate her” or any of the narratives people are now trying to pull. He talked about her in interviews as well.
    Anyways , glad she found someone better for her and I hope the Evans stans will leave her alone.

    • Margot says:

      Oh, hello Jenny’s PR team!

      • Oc says:

        Lol. Margo, that’s exactly what I was thinking. I’m waiting for the comments talking about her personality and her smoking hot body. They were common in the past.

      • angela says:

        Jenny’s pr team really? just because I’m not in love with cevans and don’t hate a woman who dated him? ok.

    • Oc says:

      How do you know she was the one who dumped him?

    • Ridz says:

      No..really. How can you be so sure SHE dumped him ?

    • Joanna says:

      God, you people replying are rude! I think she’s pretty and for people to say she dates out of her league is rude. I’m not conventionally pretty either, glad my husband didn’t think he was out of my league! Which, going by looks alone, I think he is. Thankfully there are men left who aren’t that shallow. I’m much more than just my looks and I’m sure she is too. Too bad some of you people can’t see that.

  23. Dena Landon says:

    I just got dumped today so I’m probably not in the right headspace to comment but…to all the people commenting that she should feel comfortable alone or that some women always need a partner…do you make time in your life for your single girlfriends? No, really.

    I’m 41 and single and the vast majority of my friends are coupled up. They’ll text, and maybe do coffee or tea, but they always book their weekends with their partners and kids. I’m always – always – alone on the weeknights and weekend nights. Going home to an empty house (dog loves me, thank goodness). If I try to get on their schedules – say, for a concert or theater – they’re booked months in advance. And yes I’ve gone alone and I don’t enjoy it.

    The loneliness gets really hard to deal with so it’s hard not to jump on someone who comes along.

    • Snowslow says:

      So sorry for you! I have a great time with my single friends, my friends without kids (I have four), and my friends with kids and that’s how it should be. But in my line of work people tend to not have as many kids as in other areas, and I do have friends of different ages so that helps.
      However, you are right, life gets in the way and sometimes it’s hard to find as much time as a single person has!
      There are book clubs and other kinds of activities that perhaps you could join?
      Sending you good vibes.

    • mash says:

      Girl….i feel you i remember ending a relationship in jan 2017 and my coworker friend sent me an invite to her bday and her and all her married baby friend we going on and on and it was literally KILLING ME i felt some emotionally alone…. i immediately went into women’s advocacy and a screenwriting and selling art hobbies (various activities) i was always traveling and happyhouring and doing events and blasting it on social media which led to meeting other likeminded people and associates….long story short just distract yourself and date till your heart desires when youre ready.

    • Jaded says:

      There’s nothing wrong with feeling lonely when something like this happens. It’s a kind of “buffer zone” where you nurse your wounds and spend some healing. But it’s also tough because when someone dumps you (or totally ghosts you which happened in my case) your self-esteem takes a beating and you have to put it back together again. I’ve always made time for single friends, I’ve kept them for decades, they’ve helped put my pieces back together and vice-versa. Are there book clubs or hiking clubs or painting groups you could join? I also studied Reiki and found it very healing and soothing to the soul, plus met some interesting women in the groups. Wishing you strength and peace of mind at this difficult time.

    • Izzy says:

      THIS. Thank you. Too often people get married or into a relationship, have kids… and their single friends become invisible. On the other hand, my two best friends both have kids and they make time for me whenever possible. I’m more flexible to their schedule because of their needs with their kids. We make it work. And they are eternally grateful to have Aunt Izzy to spoil their kids and love them.

      Shame more people don’t understand that we have value as well.

    • lucy2 says:

      Some do, some don’t.
      That happened to me in my late 20s/early 30s when a bunch of my long time friends got married and started having kids. I saw less and less of them, so I went out and did different activities, joined groups, focused on a professional achievement, etc. I found new friends through that. Now it’s a mix of singles, married, parents, and non-parents, old friends and new. Some have to try harder than others to make time for stuff, but in my experience, those with more 50/50 partnerships are able to do it, and those who are expected to carry the majority of the load can’t as much.

    • Joanna says:

      Oh, I’m sorry that happened to you! It sucks when your girlfriends get a guy and don’t make time for you. Or like you said, they’ll only meet up w you for lunch cause they’re going out with their partner on the weekends. Thank God for pets. I’ve had my cat a long, long time. Idk how people are single without a pet, I’m so lonely even w a pet. But at least w a pet, you can cuddle on them while you cry! And yes, I’ve been so lonely that I jumped on the first guy that came along. I’ve never understood how people are happy being single, I’m always miserable. I guess that’s a short coming of mine. I dated so many bad guys I shouldn’t have dated just cause I was tired of being alone. I finally got so tired of being hurt, I didn’t date. I think I finally reached a period where I was so tired of being hurt, I was ok w being alone. I just worked and went home. I would stop at this sports bar sometimes for dinner by myself, they had good wings. Then I met my now hubby at that sports bar. And it was the most random meeting too. But anyway when I felt I was at my lowest, I met my future husband. So hang in there, your time is coming. And don’t let men’s opinions of you influence how you see yourself. Not having a man doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you, it just means you haven’t met the one for you yet. 🙂

  24. Kliving says:

    This woman is so incredibly forgettable to me. I seriously have to look her up every time she is mentioned here to figure out who she is.

  25. Savannah says:

    Why do people post blurry pictures in this time and age with super cameras on our phones?

    Who took the picture of them reading together on the couch?

    Wtf is going on?

  26. Other Renee says:

    I like her and don’t understand the criticism of her. I’ve been single and not single. I prefer single to being with the wrong guy, but prefer marriage with the right guy over being alone. Life is special to me this way with my husband of 7 years because he’s the right guy. My heart is quiet with him meaning that I’m happy and there’s no drama in the relationship. That’s a first for me. We knew very quickly, engaged within ten months and married nine months later. Life with the wrong guy just feels like an endless drama production. Life with the right partner does not. I do believe though that some people crave the drama and are bored without it. I don’t understand that attitude, but to each.

  27. Amelie says:

    Good for her I guess! She’s a bit of a mess but I enjoyed her as Mona Lisa on Parks and Rec (the only role I’ve seen her in). She didn’t deserve the hate she got for dating Chris Evans though the breakup overshare gives a glimpse into why they may have broken up. I hope this guy sticks.

  28. Stef says:

    She’s always struck me as insecure and unable to be alone. I know men like that too.

    Is it mean to say I don’t like looking at her? I don’t mean to be cruel but I find her so very unattractive and I don’t enjoy her as an actress whatsoever. There are so many talented and beautiful women in Hollywood, she is not one of them and I’m surprised she’s had the career she’s had so far…

    • Other Renee says:

      Yes, it’s mean. It feeds into the “you’re only worthwhile in Hollywood if you’re beautiful” with the message to the rest of the world that you’re only worthwhile if you’re beautiful.