Guillermo Rodriguez is married. His wife has been photographed beside him at film premieres and industry events in Los Angeles. After 22 years on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, her name has not appeared in any verified interview, public record, or social media post connected to him.
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Is Guillermo Rodriguez Married?
Yes. Rodriguez is married and has been for well over a decade, based on the documented record. His wife’s name has never been publicly confirmed. The couple has one son, Benjamin “Benji” Rodriguez, born December 11, 2011. Jimmy Kimmel serves as Benji’s godfather. In 2017, Kimmel named his own son Billy after Rodriguez — Billy being the English equivalent of Guillermo, the Spanish form of William.
What Is Known About Guillermo Rodriguez’s Wife
Rodriguez has never named his wife in any interview or tagged her on social media. Three public appearances are on record:
- September 1, 2014 — Rodriguez posted a photo to Instagram from what he described as his first Jewish wedding. She appears beside him; she is slightly taller than him. No name, no tag.
- November 8, 2017 — The couple attended the Los Angeles premiere of Coco together, photographed on the red carpet with their son Benji.
- November 13, 2022 — Both were present at the Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Latino Cinema and Television at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.
Three appearances documented across more than a decade of public life. Her name remains unconfirmed in any of them.
Guillermo Rodriguez’s Son Benji
Benjamin Rodriguez, 14, was born December 11, 2011. Rodriguez posts about him with some regularity. On National Sons Day in 2020, he shared a photo of the two on a baseball mound, both in Timber Rattlers shirts, with a two-word caption: “The best.” In December 2022, Benji was photographed at his birthday celebration with Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts.
The family also keeps two Chihuahuas, Pepe and Paco, who have appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on occasion.
Who Is Guillermo Rodriguez?
Rodriguez, born January 27, 1971, in Zacatecas City, Mexico, arrived in California in the early 2000s working three jobs at once: a hotel room server shift starting at 6 a.m., an evening shift in the parking lot outside the Jimmy Kimmel Live! studio, and a weekend job on top of both.
Announcer Dicky Barrett found him asleep in his car one afternoon. Kimmel offered him a spot in a skit. Rodriguez said no, told producers he had never been on television and was too shy. A producer eventually talked him into it. He did the bit, collected his pay, and went back to the parking lot.
That was 2003. He became a U.S. citizen in 2005.
In September 2023, the Los Angeles City Council honored him as a Latino Community Treasure during Latino Heritage Month. At the ceremony, Rodriguez told the council what Kimmel had said to him when he first offered him the job:
“I’m looking for someone just like you. Not a buff guy, no muscles, nothing like that. I want someone like you with a little belly, someone who’s funny, someone who wants to enjoy life.”
His response to the room: “Twenty years later, I’m still here.”
He did not mention his wife.
Rodriguez and Kimmel: A Friendship That Goes Beyond the Show
The Rodriguez-Kimmel relationship has more depth than most host-sidekick arrangements. Rodriguez made Kimmel his son’s godfather. Kimmel named his own son after him. They were photographed walking out of the El Capitan Entertainment Centre together in September 2025, the afternoon ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! over Kimmel’s on-air remarks about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Rodriguez stayed quiet for six days while the suspension ran across national headlines. When the show returned September 23, he posted one photo of himself and Kimmel embracing on set. The caption read: “We are back full of love.”
On air that night, Kimmel asked if he had anything to say. Rodriguez addressed the audience directly:
“I would like to say — this world needs more people like Jimmy Kimmel. He is the best. He’s a great man, a great father. Thank you, Jimmy. I love you, and I stand with you all the way.”
Jimmy Kimmel Live! was renewed in December 2025 and is contracted on ABC through May 2027.
Guillermo Rodriguez: Key Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Guillermo Díaz Rodriguez |
| Date of birth | January 27, 1971 |
| Place of birth | Zacatecas City, Mexico |
| U.S. citizenship | 2005 |
| Height | 5 ft 2 in |
| Net worth | $4 million (Celebrity Net Worth) |
| Annual salary | Estimated $500,000 to $546,000 |
| Wife | Married; name not publicly known |
| Son | Benjamin “Benji” Rodriguez, born December 11, 2011 |
| Current show | Jimmy Kimmel Live!, ABC, through May 2027 |
Rodriguez has spent 22 years being one of the most openly warm people on American television. He talks about his career, his nerves, his gratitude, his friendship with Kimmel. The one subject he has never addressed publicly is the person he goes home to. His wife has been present through all of it. He has kept that part of his life entirely his own.
