Congratulations are in order for Jenny Slate, 37! The Saturday Night Live alum took to her Instagram account on Sept. 9 to announce that she and her boyfriend, artist and writer Ben Shattuck, 35, are officially engaged! Jenny posted a series of pictures of the two of them on her account, writing, “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.”
Ben also shared the joyful news on his Instagram. He posted a collection of adorable photos of the two of them, writing, “In an abandoned castle in southern France, I asked this woman to marry me. Here she is in front of a door the color of her soul. In LA / MA / Holland / Belgium / France thank you @jennyslate and UP UP UP to more adventures.”
So, who is Jenny’s hunky mystery man? Below are five things to know about Ben Shattuck.
1. He’s an art curator. According to his Instagram bio, Ben is an art curator at Dedee Shattuck Gallery, an “inspired space for contemporary art, a sculpture garden, a gift shop and a community events venue.” The gallery is owned by his mother, Dedee Shattuck, and is located in Westport, Massachusetts.
2. He’s also an artist. Ben is not only an art gallery curator, he’s also an artist himself. One look through the portfolio on his website shows his undeniable talent and artistic ability; he often paints landscapes, and nature is a common theme in his art.
3. Ben is an award-winning writer. He was the Pushcart Prize winner in 2019 for his short story, The History of Sound. He also won the PEN America Best Debut Short Story award in 2017 and won The Michael Rapuano Memorial Award at Cornell University. Ben also serves as the director for the Cuttyhunk Island Writers’ Residency, which is located off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
4. He and Jenny stepped out as a couple for the first time at Sundance. The two regularly make appearances on each other’s social media accounts now, but Jenny and Ben officially stepped out as a couple for the first time at the Sundance Film Festival in early 2019. Pictures of the two getting cozy during the festival confirmed their budding romance.
5. He studied at Cornell University. According to his website, Ben studied at the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning at Cornell University. He also taught fiction writing at the University of Iowa and Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand,