*Tonya Lewis Lee has been married to Oscar-winning director Spike Lee for 32 years, and she says the strength of their relationship comes from finding balance.
Speaking to PEOPLE, Tonya explained the key to their long partnership. “There are no specific rules,” she shared. “We each do our own thing and then come together. We’re not up underneath each other a whole lot.”
That sense of independence, she noted, makes the time they do share even more enjoyable. “It’s a lot of fun,” the 59-year-old attorney said of their moments together. Tonya’s own passion lies in advocacy. “For goodness in the world and for humanity,” she explained, describing the causes that drive her. She and Spike, who were named ambassadors of Benin in July, remain committed to activism and political engagement. “I know that’s not quite as sexy as him rooting for the Liberty or the Knicks, but we share that passion for sure,” she said.
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The couple first met in 1992 at an event hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington, D.C., and were married a year later in New York City. They now share two adult children, Satchel, 30, and Jackson, 28. Spike has spoken about that first meeting, telling the Kelly Corrigan Wonders podcast that “time stopped” when he saw Tonya.
Tonya has recalled that Spike made quite the impression early on. Speaking to Essence in 2020, she remembered him giving her “the third degree,” asking, “Are you an actress? A model? A singer? Who are you here with? What do you do? Do you have a boyfriend?”
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