Actress Alexandra Billings is married to her high school sweetheart Chrisanne Blankenship. The actress is now starring in Netflix’s teen comedy Never Have I Ever. For the fans of the show who are newly introduced to her, you should know about her love story with Chrisanne.
Without any further ado, learn all about it as you scroll down.
Meet Chrisanne Blankenship, Alexandra Billings Wife
They met in 1976 at Schaumburg High School in their drama club where they acted together in the high school plays. Alexandra was a 14-year-old freshman boy named Scott and Chrisanne was a 17-year-old senior on the way to college. They played brother and sister in a Shakespeare play, “Twelfth Night”. Because they had to play twins, Chrisanne learned the art of impersonation from Alexandra.
But the lovers part seemed, at best, improbable. Scott Billings was an effeminate boy who was mercilessly teased by his peers, a painful period that Alexandra re-creates in “Before I Disappear.” They became very close not long after and would go around the city ordering drinks claiming that they were brother and sister, and then sister and sister shortly after.
Years later, Scott Billings became Shante, a glamorous drag queen who headlined the Baton Lounge. It was a time of shiny veneers but also of great danger and damage: Alexandra, as the cool and bitchy Shante, was doing drugs, working as a high-priced prostitute, and suffering through abusive relationships.
“I told them, `I don’t hold hands, I don’t kiss on the mouth,’ ” explained Alexandra. “There was no price on that.” It was the only time in Alexandra’s life that Chrisanne disappeared. “I just couldn’t handle Shante, I couldn’t handle the transformation,” Chrisanne told Chicago Tribune.
Meanwhile, Chrisanne picked up her life, began a career in theater, and twice got engaged to other men. Whereas, Alexandra had bottomed out as Shante, gone into recovery, and undergone surgery to become a woman.
Alexandra and Chrisanne rekindled their connection and even went on double dates (with different partner). They started out as friends before moving in together. They socialized, went to the theater and the movies together, and spoke all night.
Chrisanne was the one who consoled and encouraged Alexandra after she received her HIV-positive diagnosis. Then, one day, while they were getting ready to go out, Alexandra noticed she was getting ready as though she were going on a date by primping, combing her hair, and dressing up.
“I went out to her and said, `Are we dating? Is that what we’re doing?’ and Chrisanne looked up at me and said, `Yes, I think so,’ ” says Alexandra. “But we went really slow. It was like one of those old-time movies. For the longest time, we just held hands. It took us three, four months to kiss.”
Alexandra was the one who said “I love you” first. She wrote a note to Chrisanne for a Christmas gift which basically said: “I love You”.
Before their engagement, the couple had a fight. Chrisanne took Alex to their favorite restaurant in Chicago. They ordered each other’s favorite meal and Alex proposed to Chrisanne over dinner at the restaurant. The proposal happened in an intimate situation that Alex would only share if there is ever her biography.
According to Alexandra Chrisanne asked to marry her saying: “What would you say if?” because Chrisanne thought the actress wouldn’t say yes.
On 5 December 2022, Alexandra posted on her Facebook on their anniversary, “26 years ago tonight, she said yes. Happy Anniversary, wifus. You are my home.”
The couple married in 1996 at the Bailiwick Theatre. The wedding was beautiful and they had two reverends, a male and a female. It was the time when gay marriage was illegal. 130 attendees who were there thought that they were performing because gay people weren’t marrying at the time.
Alexandra’s mother boycotted their wedding because she didn’t understand and it upset her. Whereas, her father pretended that he was sick. However, Chrisanne’s parents as well as her brother attended the wedding.
The couple recently completed their South African adventures. She added, “Our last day on the resort. As we were leaving and walking to the car and saying goodbye to the other 12 humans we spent the week with, we caught each other dreaming. We’ve been lucky enough to have been able, in the middle age of our lives, to finally travel the planet.”
In May 2023, Alexandra shared: ” When Chrisanne and I were first married, we were on food stamps and I had been diagnosed with HIV and was very sick for a very long time with not much faith and not much hope.”
Alexandra added, “And as time went by and as we worked and held each other up, our careers began an uphill climb. My wife retired and became the engine for our production company and my teaching and my art blossomed, with the help of the angels in my path.”
Chrisanne Blankenship Age
As of June 2023, Chrisanne Blankenship is age 64. Her birth year is 1959 and her month is January.
Chrisanne Blankenship Job
Chrisanne Blankenship is the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Schmengie Inc. She has worked in the entertainment industry since the early 1990s, breaking barriers everywhere she goes; She was the first female Managing Director of the award-winning Strawdog Theatre in Chicago Il, producing entity Puzsch Studios, and Owner/Operator of First Night Productions in Aurora Il.
Chrisanne has directed various plays, readings, and cabaret shows and developed and directed the first gender variant production of the classic musical “1776”, debuting at the Apollo Theater as a benefit for Healthworks Theater Company, the premiere AIDS/HIV educational company in Chicago.
Is Chrisanne Blankenship On Instagram And Facebook?
No, Chrisanne Blankenship is neither on Instagram nor Facebook.
Chrisanne Blankenship Young
Chrisanne Blankenship Height
Chrisanne Blankenship’s height measures under 5 feet 5 inches.
Related FAQs
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Where Is Chrisanne Blankenship From?
Chrisanne Blankenship hailed from Chicago, Illinois. She is now residing in Long Beach California.
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When Is Chrisanne Blankenship Birthday?
Chrisanne Blankenship celebrates her birthday in January.
