We will be seeing a lot of Jo Koy this weekend as he prepares to host the 2024 Golden Globes from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. But behind the scenes, the stand-up comedian, 52, has raised a lookalike son Joseph, and the father-son duo have the sweetest relationship.
The Haunted Mansion actor shares his 20-year-old son with his former partner Angie King. The star and his son are now down the street from each other in the San Fernando Valley area of California.
Jo has previously spoken about his love for fatherhood. "I love being a dad," he said on Father's Day last year. On his son's 18th birthday, the comedian took to Instagram to pay homage to their close bond saying, "I’ve always said that my life didn’t start until you were born. Now I’m excited to see what your future holds. The world is yours my son and I’ll be right next to you the whole way."
The natural inclination towards public displays of affection is clearly something Joseph has inherited from his father. In 2020 he took to Instagram himself to share a touching black and white photo of the pair of them standing on stage in the full arena during one of Jo's shows. The post was captioned: "Still can’t believe this happened. So proud and so happy u lived out one of ur dreams."
But that doesn't mean that Joseph is exempt from being worked into his dad's stand-up material. Jo said on the Larry King Show in 2019: "My son is just a walking joke for me. If it happens inside these walls that I pay for, I'm going to capitalize, and you’re going to enjoy what we make off of you together."
However, he is sensitive to Joseph's feelings and reassured The Aspen Times that "if he doesn’t want me to talk about it, I won’t. But for the most part, he’s cool with it."
The comedian has previously opened up about co-parenting with his ex-partner and the healthy relationship they have maintained to raise Joseph. Chatting to Kelly Clarkson on her eponymous talk show he said: "We're a loving family and we can work. Just because you’re not married, it doesn't mean you can't be the best of friends. You still have the responsibility to raise this beautiful child together. And it's fun to see my son see his parents happy."
Jo has opened up about the likeness between himself and his son, and it's not just in their looks. It appears the 20-year-old has a sense of humour like his father. During an appearance on River City Live, Jo said of Joseph: "I know he's got a creative mind and he's got a sense for fashion and comedy, and I know that’s the avenue and lane he's going to take after school. So I will be there to help him but in no way am I going to force him or discourage him not to do anything."
Joseph worked in the crew for Jo's 2023 world tour and has even made a TV appearance alongside his dad. In 2022 the pair were seen twice on ABC’s Celebrity Family Feud. Speaking to the show's host Steve Harvey, Jo said: "He's so talented! He's so funny, Steve! And I'm just so honored to be on the road and share these memories with him ‘cause he works with me and he rides with me everywhere."
The duo have also taken to the red carpet together. They were seen looking smiley at the opening night of Here Lies Love on Broadway and Tiffany Haddish's 1st Annual Adult Prom: A Night Under The Stars last year.
Away from the spotlight, the father-son duo have been known to go off traveling together to places including the Philippines to see family, New York, Dubai, and Tokyo.
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