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Ice-T and Coco Austin have been going strong for decades.
The couple first met in 2001 on the set of a music video after being introduced by a mutual friend. They married in Las Vegas just a few months later with only a priest and a pianist present. However, Ice-T and Austin didn't get legally married until 2006 when they had yet another Las Vegas wedding — this time having obtained a marriage license before saying, "I do."
In the years since, Ice-T and Coco welcomed a daughter, Chanel Nicole, and starred together in a reality show, Ice Loves Coco.
The pair have celebrated plenty of other milestones along the way, and are never shy when it comes to sharing their love on social media. They are also fiercely protective of their daughter and have defended their parenting decisions on numerous occasions.
From their first meeting to their sweet social media tributes, here's everything to know about Ice-T and Coco Austin's relationship.
2001: Ice-T and Coco Austin meet on the set of a music video
During a 2017 interview on Mario Lopez: One on One, Ice-T and Coco revealed that they were first introduced by a mutual friend on the set of a music video. Apparently, Ice-T wasn't in the best mood that day, so his friend brought Coco over to cheer him up.
While Ice-T doesn't usually like being introduced to people because "you feel accommodated to be nice," he said he found it difficult to remain composed when he saw Coco.
He recalled asking her, "'Would you ever consider dating a gangster rapper?' " to which she responded that she would if he was nice. "I said, 'Well, baby, if you take the 'n' off 'nice', you get 'Ice,' " the rapper recounted.
The line made Coco laugh. "I couldn't believe he just came with that line out of nowhere," she later wrote on her blog. "I thought it was cute, kind of cheesy in a cornball kind of way but from that moment he had my attention."
January 1, 2002: Ice-T and Coco Austin get married
After their first meeting, Ice-T had to return to New York City to film Law and Order: SVU, while Coco continued working as a model in California. The two began a long-distance relationship, with Coco making frequent trips to N.Y.C. They were married a few months later on New Year's Eve at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. According to Coco's blog, it was "the most romantic, beautiful moment ever."
"We got married pretty fast," she wrote. "He became my best friend and this instantly was someone I didn't want to live without. We just knew we wanted to be together, we were like yin and yang, like peanut butter and jelly. LOL."
She continued, "We didn't tell no body [sic], no family, no friends, we just kept it between us, we didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings so we just kept it to ourselves ... I will never forget looking at him face to face just me and him no one else in the room but a priest and a pianist. He got choked up while he spoke which made me get choked up."
August 10, 2002: Ice-T and Coco Austin make their first public appearance together
A few months after they got married, Ice-T and Coco made their first public appearance together at the MECCA Movie Awards, which was hosted at the Directors Guild of America in N.Y.C.
October 31, 2002: Ice-T and Coco Austin coordinate outfits for Halloween
That same year, Ice-T and Coco attended DKNY's annual Halloween party in N.Y.C. in matching red costumes. Coco wore a red bikini set with devil horns, while Ice-T sported a red t-shirt and leather trousers with vampire fangs.
May 2004: Coco Austin stars alongside Ice-T in Law & Order: SVU
In May 2004, Coco made her first appearance on her husband's show, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, during season 5. She returned to the show in November 2007, guest starring in the episode "Fight" as Traci Bell, the wife of UFC world champion Forrest Griffin. Coco's third appearance occurred in January 2012 in the episode "Theatre Tricks."
"I think whenever Coco is on the set, every single crew member somehow makes it to the set," Ice-T told The Huffington Post in 2012. "Every light man, every prop person, every electrician, every cook somehow makes it to that set when Coco is going to shoot. We have more people on set when Coco shoots than any time in the history of Law & Order."
May 22, 2011: Ice-T attends the launch of Coco Austin's clothing line
On May 22, 2011, Coco launched a clothing line called Licious.
"My clothes are meant to make a statement," Coco told the New York Daily News. "I'm not dull in any way and all the bright colors and styles show that."
She added, "This is for the woman who wants to show off a little more. I always had a problem getting my clothes to fit right, I was always getting them tailored so I know what women go through."
Ice-T attended the launch party at the Grace Hotel in N.Y.C. with Coco to show his support.
June 3, 2011: Ice-T and Coco Austin renew their wedding vows
More than five years after they first got married, Ice-T and Coco renewed their vows in a large ceremony held at Hollywood's W Hotel. Stars like Snoop Dogg and Tila Tequila were in attendance, and the ceremony was filmed for the couple's E! reality show, Ice Loves Coco.
June 12, 2011: Ice-T and Coco Austin's show Ice Loves Coco premieres
Ice Loves Coco premiered on E! on June 12, 2011. The reality series chronicled the couple's daily lives in the spotlight and ran for 3 seasons up until Jan. 6, 2013.
July 27, 2015: Ice-T and Coco Austin reveal they're expecting their first child together
After over a decade of marriage, Ice-T and Coco announced they were expecting their first child together.
"I'm pregnant!!! Yah!! Ice & I are so excited! I announced it Friday on our new talkshow which airs Aug 3rd," Coco wrote on Twitter at the time.
"Oh s—! The news is out. YES. We're having a baby," Ice-T wrote on his own Twitter. "We want to say thank you to everyone for the overwhelming LOVE you are sending us! We appreciate you."
November 28, 2015: Ice-T and Coco Austin welcome their first child together
The couple welcomed their daughter, Chanel Nicole, on Nov. 28, 2015, in Englewood, New Jersey.
Coco announced the news on Instagram with a photo of the newborn baby. "Surprise!!! Look who came early!! Welcome the new arrival of Chanel Nicole … A beautiful healthy 5.7 pound and 18 inch baby girl. Ice and I are so proud! I cried while she was coming out. I was so excited to meet her," she captioned the post.
Ice-T added on Twitter, "Ladies and Gentlemen! Please allow me to introduce to the World … Baby Chanel 5.7 pounds. Love is Love."
Coco later told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview, "I think motherhood was always my calling. I wish I had let it happen earlier, but this is perfect. I'm dedicating my whole life to molding this little nugget into a fabulous person."
February 15, 2017: Ice-T and Coco Austin's daughter makes her runway debut
Ice-T and Coco's daughter made her New York Fashion Week debut in February 2017, when she walked in the Rookie USA show alongside her parents. The then-14-month-old was dressed in an Air Jordan tracksuit that matched her dad's, and she waved to the crowd from her mom's arms.
"Chanel was in a daze (not amuzed [sic]) but managed to wave to the crowd," Coco captioned a photo from the show. "First time ever I'm on the catwalk without heels … I'm clumsy in flats but actually I was wearing sneaker wedges but it's still weird) … lol."
January 28, 2018: Ice-T and Coco attend the Grammy Awards together
In 2018, Ice-T and his band, Body Count, earned a Grammy nomination for best metal performance for their song "Black Hoodie." The couple attended the ceremony together at Madison Square Garden in N.Y.C.
Coco shared a photo of the two of them on the red carpet with the caption, "Grammy arrivals! Me and my boo looking sharp in black ... So happy for my mans nomination for the song, 'Black Hoodie' #BodyCount."
December 3, 2020: Ice-T and Coco Austin give a tour of their home
The couple gave PEOPLE an exclusive tour of their condo in Edgewater, New Jersey, and shared their favorite rooms.
Ice-T said his favorite place to relax was their bedroom. "I got an 80-inch television [in there]," he told PEOPLE. "When I get home from work I go up to the bedroom, watch all my TV shows, chill out and [our baby, Chanel and our dog] are usually in bed with us too."
Coco shared that her favorite room was the laundry room, where she would frequently spend time while Ice-T played on his Xbox.
January 1, 2021: Ice-T and Coco Austin celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary
Ice-T and Coco marked two decades together on New Year's Eve and celebrated with an intimate dinner complete with their closest friends and family.
Coco shared a gallery of photos from the dinner with the caption, "Happy New Years everyone!! It was Ice and mines [sic] 20th anniversary too and instead of having a big party this year like planned we decided to go to dinner with a small group of friends to bring in the New Year … Ice's older daughter Tesha made it out this year too, it was a nice intimate night … Cheers 🥂."
Ice-T also shared a photo from the festivities, writing in the caption, "I'd say Coco and I had a great 20th Anniversary Celebration last night … Thanks for all the LOVE … We TRULY appreciate it. #2021 🙏💎."
March 14, 2021: Coco Austin celebrates Ice-T's Grammy win
Three years after their first Grammy Awards nomination, Body Count won best metal performance for their song "Bum Rush."
Though Ice-T attended the ceremony virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Coco still marked the milestone at home with her husband, posting his live reaction to the win on Twitter.
"Grammy Surprise! OMG this just happened!!," she captioned the video, which featured Chanel cheering on her dad. "So not expecting it but @BodyCountBand won best Metal performance … 2nd nomination is a charm! You deserve it!! 👏👏👏👏."
August 21, 2021: Ice-T defends Coco Austin's decision to continue breastfeeding their daughter
Coco has been open over the years about her choice to continue breastfeeding the couple's daughter Chanel. After social media users began to question her parenting decisions in August 2021, Ice-T quickly came to his wife's defense.
"News Flash! We feed Chanel FOOD... She just likes to suck moms boob every now and then... Me Too!!!" he wrote in a tweet alongside a photo of mother and daughter.
He responded to another user, "Why the F are you worried about MY Child??? That's what's weird.. Now go back in the basement."
Coco previously said that nursing is "a big bonding moment for a mother and your child," and that their daughter eats other foods too.
"Why take that away from her? … If she doesn't want it, alright, that's where you stop it. But I'm not just going to say no," she added.
February 14, 2022: Ice-T and Coco Austin share sweet tributes for Valentine's Day
To celebrate Valentine's Day, Ice-T shared a photo of the first time he met Coco, captioned, "This is a Pic of the moment I first met @Coco … My friend 'Rickey Recardo AKA Rolls Royce Rick' Introduced us at a video shoot … We've been happily married 21yrs. 'Look at my face … lol' #HappyValentinesDay to all the lovers ❤️."
Coco also shared a photo of her and Ice-T, writing in the caption, "Happy Valentines to the love of my life … 21 Valentines with ya and counting!! I love the feeling of being with you!! No hugs all kisses 😘 😉💋❤."
March 17, 2022: Ice-T posts a birthday message for Coco Austin
In honor of Coco's 43rd birthday, Ice-T posted a sweet tribute to his wife on Instagram. "Today is @Coco 's Birthday! I personally celebrate THIS day EVERY day," he wrote in the caption. "Simply because you were born & have made me the Happiest man. You're an incredible mother & the Nicest person I've ever met. I love you to death and you Definitely get Better every year! HappyBirthday Baby ❤️."
February 5, 2023: Ice-T and Coco Austin attend the Grammy Awards
The couple were dressed to the nines on the Grammys red carpet. Ice-T looked stylish in a blue velvet Gucci blazer and his signature black hat, while Coco stunned in a plunging, skin-tight dress.
February 17, 2023: Coco Austin supports Ice-T at Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony
Coco, along with Ice-T's three children, was by the Law & Order actor's side as he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
She also gave her husband a shout-out on Instagram following the big ceremony.
"So proud of Ice! It was a great day!!" Coco captioned an image of her, Ice-T and their daughter, Chanel.
March 17, 2023: Ice-T celebrates Coco Austin's 44th birthday
In honor of his wife's birthday, the Law & Order alum gave Coco a shout-out on Instagram.
"Thank you for being my incredible Partner, Lover, and SuperMom to @babychanelnicole. You are the nicest person I've ever known in my life. You HONESTLY get BETTER every year… I Love you," Ice-T captioned a sultry selfie of the former reality star.
September 13, 2023: Ice-T recalls getting married to Coco Austin in Las Vegas
Robin Marchant/Getty
During an interview with PEOPLE, Ice-T shared details from his and Austin's Las Vegas nuptials in 2006. This was five years after the couple got married in Las Vegas without a marriage license.
"We never really told anybody about this because everyone thought we were already married," he said.
The wedding took place on New Year's Eve at Caesar's Palace. The chapel had closed for the night, so Ice-T dropped his name and the staff agreed to stay open late for the celebrity couple.
"I never say my name but I said, 'It’s Ice-T.' He said, 'Bulls---.' So, I went down to the elevator to the fifth floor and walked in. The guy was like, 'No f------ way,' " the rapper recalled.
Prior to saying, "I do," Austin and Ice-T ran into a group of the actor's fans on the elevator.
"Coco had the bouquet in her hands. The kids were like, ‘Ice-T, yo! Y’all just got married?' So, they threw us a reception in the elevator. They were partying and blowing horns and s---," he said.
December 19, 2023: Ice-T calls Coco Austin "super mom"
Bennett Raglin/Getty
While speaking with PEOPLE, Ice-T gushed about his wife and discussed Austin's decision to be a stay-at-home mom.
"Coco is super mom. We have no nannies," he said. "If you're fortunate enough to be able to stay home with your kids, it's the most incredible and most admirable thing you can do, raise a child."
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