If you’ve ever listened to the Monday Morning Podcast, you’ve definitely heard the voice. Sometimes she’s just a faint shout from the other room, and other times she’s sitting right there, mercilessly roasting the man who makes a living roasting the entire world. Nia Renée Hill is the woman behind the "angry" comedian, and honestly, she’s often funnier than he is.
Bill Burr has spent decades building a career on being the guy who won't back down from a fight. But when it comes to his wife, the dynamic is totally different. They’ve been together for two decades. That’s a lifetime in Hollywood years.
The serendipity of Emerson College and the Apollo
Believe it or not, they basically followed each other around for years before things actually clicked. Both are Massachusetts natives. Bill grew up in Canton; Nia was born in Boston. They even went to the same school—Emerson College—though Bill graduated about ten years before Nia did.
The "meet-cute" wasn't exactly a rom-com moment. It was more of a comedy-club-grind moment. They first crossed paths at the Apollo Theater in Harlem back in 2000. Nia’s dad, Ben Hill, was a comedy manager booking talent for Showtime at the Apollo. Bill was on the lineup, doing what Bill does: yelling at a tough crowd that wasn't giving him much love. Nia, a teenager at the time, was backstage thinking, "This guy has balls."
It took a few more years for the universe to stop playing around. They met again in 2004 when Nia was a talent coordinator on Chappelle’s Show. Then, the real spark happened on the set of Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn. Bill kept asking her out. Nia kept being, in Bill's words, "a jerk" (probably just playing hard to get). Eventually, after a group dinner with the crew, Bill convinced her to split a cab. He saw her smile and knew he finally had a shot.
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Who exactly is Nia Renée Hill?
Don't let the "wife of a famous comedian" label fool you. Nia is a powerhouse in her own right. She’s an actor, writer, and producer who has been in the industry just as long as Bill.
You might recognize her from:
- F Is For Family: She voiced Georgia and Nia Roosevelt on the Netflix animated hit.
- Santa Clarita Diet: She had a recurring role as Leslie.
- Crashing: An appearance on the HBO series about the stand-up world.
- Old Dads: She appeared in Bill’s 2023 directorial debut.
Beyond the screen, she’s a writer who hasn't been afraid to tackle complex topics. Years ago, she wrote for the blog xoJane, penning a piece titled "I Never Thought I Would End Up Here But Here I Am: My Life As A 'Kept Woman.'" It was a raw, honest look at the transition from being a fiercely independent career woman to being the spouse of a high-earner. She talked about the guilt, the ego, and the struggle to find her own lane while her husband's career went into the stratosphere.
The marriage that changed Bill’s mind
If you listen to Bill’s early specials—we’re talking 2003 or 2005—he sounded like a guy who would never, ever get married. He was the king of the "why would you sign a legal document for love?" rant.
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Then Nia happened.
They got married in September 2013. In his 2025 Hulu special Drop Dead Years, Bill joked about the secret to their longevity. Basically, he says you just have to agree to do one thing a month that you absolutely hate, but your partner loves. That’s it. That’s the "secret sauce."
They have two kids now: a daughter named Lola, born in 2017, and a son born in 2020. They’re pretty private about their son's name, which is fair enough given how crazy the internet is. Bill often talks about how fatherhood has softened him—sort of. He’s still the guy yelling at the TV, but now he’s doing it while watching Bluey and getting "misty-eyed."
Why the internet loves (and sometimes hates) them
Nia has a massive following because she doesn't take Bill's crap. On the podcast, she frequently checks him on his more "out there" takes. She’s the reality check.
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But she’s also his fiercest defender. When Bill hosted Saturday Night Live in 2020 and the monologue went viral for being "controversial," Nia was right there on social media, cheering him on. She knows who he is. She’s famously said, "He’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but he is mine."
There was also that viral moment where she was seen giving a double-bird salute to Donald Trump at a UFC event while sitting next to Bill. It set the internet on fire. Bill’s reaction? "I f***ing love my wife... you know where she stands." That’s their marriage in a nutshell: unapologetic and fiercely loyal.
Real talk: The "Kept Woman" evolution
Nia has been very open about the fact that her career took a backseat for a few years while their family grew. It’s a relatable struggle for a lot of people. In 2024, she started a new chapter, focusing more on her own projects, like her series At the Table, which focuses on Black culinary culture.
She’s making it clear that while she loves being "Nia Hill-Burr," she’s still very much Nia Renée Hill.
Actionable insights for fans:
- Listen to the Thursday Afternoon Podcast: If you want the most authentic look at their relationship, listen to the episodes where she "pops in." It’s better than any scripted sitcom.
- Follow her on Instagram: She shares a lot of the "behind-the-scenes" of their life that Bill never would, including his obsession with his Starbucks cup collection.
- Watch 'Old Dads' and 'F Is For Family': To see their professional collaboration in action. They work well together because they actually respect each other's comedic timing.
The biggest takeaway from their relationship isn't that Bill Burr "changed." It’s that he found someone who was a match for his energy. Nia isn't his "better half" in the cheesy sense; she’s the person who keeps him sharp.