Tika Sumpter Marries Nicholas James After 5-Year Engagement: 'We Just Cemented What We Already Are'
Tika Sumpter is a married woman! On Saturday, the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 star tied the knot with her longtime love, Nicholas James, in a beautiful Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, ceremony.
"We're excited to be together and continue the journey," Sumpter told Brides of their wedding day. "We both walked down the aisle with clear eyes, knowing that the wedding wasn't just for the party. It was really for us."
According to Brides, Sumpter wore a strapless wedding dress by Galia Lahav with a flowing veil, while James wore a light blue custom Franc Milton suit.
"My favorite part of the planning process was just looking at all of the names of my friends and family who were coming," she told the magazine. "Each one made me smile, so it made me even more excited to plan something beautiful. I wanted everybody to have a great time. I really had my friends, my family, my future husband in mind -- it wasn't just for me. It was a real celebration of all the people who have held us up on this journey to make it what it is."
Sumpter also noted that officially being married won't change much for the couple, although she said it'll be fun to "call Nick my husband and hear him call me his wife."
"I think we just cemented what we already are, and all of our friends were witnesses to that," she said. "It's a continuation of the journey, but I'm looking forward to doing what we've been doing, which is making sure that we have a solid foundation. Making sure we're strong. It's not a sprint, this journey, it's definitely not a sprint."
The 41-year-old actress and 38-year-old actor first met as co-stars on the OWN series, The Haves and the Have Nots, in 2015. The duo kept their romance, Sumpter's surprise pregnancy and the birth of their daughter Ella-Loren in October 2016 a secret throughout their run on the show.
"I didn't want to hear, 'Who's the dad?'" Sumpter told Fit Pregnancy in September 2016 about not revealing the name of her then-boyfriend. "Social media can be harsh, and I'm a mama bear, protective of my family. So that's why I waited to tell people, including some of my friends. My friends weren't mad at me. They said, 'You did it the way you wanted to do it. You're an inspiration.'"
The actress confirmed her engagement in January 2017 during an appearance on The Real when asked about the ring on her finger. About the Christmas Day proposal, Sumpter said it was "simple and just awesome."
The family of three made a mini-debut on James' Instagram page in April 2017, and two months later, Sumpter shared a post on her page celebrating her daughter’s father -- and revealing his identity to the world.
"Ella's such a lucky girl. @nickjames138 you are an amazing father," she captioned a photo of the actor holding up their daughter. "I could not have asked for a funnier, more present and loving partner. Thanks daddy for sending me a good one."
They made their official red carpet debut as a couple at the October 2018 premiere of Nobody's Fool in New York City, and since then, they've made frequent appearances on each others' accounts as they share affectionate tributes to each other.
This past Mother's Day, James wrote a heartfelt tribute to Sumpter on Instagram, proclaiming that she "deserves all the glory."
"Watching her effortlessly do all the things an amazing mother would do is a masterclass in parenting! The way she loves our daughter, our family…even our 🐶 is awe inspiring to say the least," he captioned a photo of Sumpter. "We love you to many galaxies away and back! Thank you for being you! Love love love you!"
In March, Sumpter wrote on Instagram about James, "Y'all have no idea the amount of love, patience, kindness, care and understanding this guy has shown me. So grateful for you. Grateful for therapy. Grateful that you're my person."
Congratulations to the happy couple!
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