Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearney Detail How They Work Together While Married: 'We Know How to Compartmentalize' (Exclusive)

12/08/2024 10:00 AM

The 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' colleagues also open up about constantly brainstorming ideas for the show — even at home

Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearney are opening up about how they maintain a happy marriage and work-life balance.

Although the busy couple work in late-night television, they make time for "date nights." Their secret? Lying in bed, TV and Postmates, they exclusively told PEOPLE at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Gala on Oct 5.

"We worked together for eight years before dating, and so we really just kind of kept that the same," McNearny, who serves as executive producer and co-head writer on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, told PEOPLE. "We know how to compartmentalize. It definitely can be difficult when I pitch ideas to get rejected by my husband, but it's okay. I've got thick skin."

"I get rejected plenty, believe me," Kimmel, 57, quipped. 

"We're doing great. We're doing really great," McNearney, 46, added.

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Kimmel and McNearney have been married since July 2013, and while there might be lots of brainstorming at the office, it doesn't exactly stop when they clock out. Even at home, constantly coming up with ideas for the show is just business as usual. 

"No. Never. Not even sleep," Kimmel confessed when asked if they have a strict cut-off rule when it comes to work-related chatter.

"It never stops. No, no, never," McNearney reiterated. "He'll wake up in the middle of the night, 'Oh, let's write this down.' Or in the car, he'll say, 'Get your phone and write this down,' because he's usually the one driving and no, the brain is always working."

But even though the creative juices are constantly flowing for the late-night talk show host, he's very quite fond of his date nights. It seems the couple is on the same page about one major thing: they'd take a night in front of the boob tube over a night out on the town, any day. 

"Our date nights are like, lying in bed watching TV," Kimmel revealed. "We don't like to go out."

McNearney replied, "So hot. That is a nice night for us. To not do anything is the best kind of date for us. Postmates and Netflix, and it's perfect. Or Hulu, of course."

Related: Jimmy Kimmel's 4 Kids: Everything He's Said About Parenting

Kimmel and McNearney have two children together: daughter Jane, 10, and son Billy, 7. Meanwhile, Kimmel and his first wife, Gina Maddy, share two adult children: daughter Katie, 33, and son Kevin, 31.

And their son Billy is one of the main reasons Kimmel and McNearney have shown immense support for Children's Hospital Los Angeles throughout the years. In 2017, Billy was born with a rare and life-threatening heart condition and received care there. This year, the couple served as honorary chairs for the gala.

"It's great to know that this hospital is here for anybody in Los Angeles or even the area and they are so good with kids and so good with parents, which is, I think, kind of rare," Kimmel said. "And they're obviously great at what they do, but also, I think that for us personally it's very meaningful. 

"When we had to decide where we were going to get our son, Billy, operated on, we talked to a lot of doctors, and we decided that this was the best place, and we feel strongly that we made the right decision," he added.