If you are a fan of Silicon Valley or Crazy Rich Asians, you might be familiar with Jimmy O. Yang, the actor and comedian who plays Jian-Yang and Bernard Tai respectively. But did you know that he has a girlfriend who is also a successful entrepreneur and investor? Her name is Brianne Kimmel, and she is the founder of Worklife Ventures, a venture capital firm that focuses on the future of work.
But is she related to another famous Kimmel, the late-night host Jimmy Kimmel? The answer is no. Despite sharing the same last name, Brianne and Jimmy are not related by blood or marriage. In fact, they have never met in person. So how did this rumor start?
The Origin of the Rumor
The rumor that Brianne Kimmel is related to Jimmy Kimmel seems to have originated from a tweet by Jimmy O. Yang in 2020. He posted a photo of himself and Brianne with the caption “Happy birthday to my girlfriend @briannekimmel who is not related to @jimmykimmel”.
The tweet was meant to be a joke, but some people took it seriously and started to wonder if there was a family connection between the two Kimmels. Some even speculated that Brianne was Jimmy’s niece or cousin. However, there is no evidence to support this claim.
The Reality of the Relationship
Brianne Kimmel and Jimmy O. Yang have been dating since 2019, according to their social media posts. They met through mutual friends in Los Angeles, where they both live. They share a love for comedy, travel, and entrepreneurship.
Brianne is a Ukrainian-American who grew up in Youngstown, Ohio. She graduated from Kent State University with a degree in journalism. She worked as an advertising executive in Sydney, Australia before moving back to the US and joining Zendesk as a go-to-market strategist. She also taught classes at General Assembly, a tech education company.
In 2019, she launched Worklife Ventures, a $5 million seed fund that invests in startups that are reimagining work beyond the office. Some of her portfolio companies include Webflow, Tonal, Hopin, Clubhouse, Public, Deel, and Pipe. She raised an additional $35 million in 2022 and reached a total market cap of $40 billion for her portfolio companies.
Jimmy is a Chinese-American who was born in Hong Kong and moved to Los Angeles when he was 13. He studied economics at UC San Diego and started doing stand-up comedy while in college. He landed his breakthrough role as Jian-Yang on HBO’s Silicon Valley in 2014. He also appeared in movies such as Patriots Day, The Opening Act, and Fantasy Island. He is also an author of a memoir called How to American: An Immigrant’s Guide to Disappointing Your Parents.
The Future of the Couple
Brianne and Jimmy seem to be very happy together and supportive of each other’s careers. They often post photos and videos of their travels, adventures, and date nights on Instagram and Twitter. They also attend events and premieres together as a couple.
They have not announced any plans to get married or have children yet, but they do live together with their dog named Mochi. They also have a podcast called Worklife with Brianne & Jimmy where they talk about their personal and professional lives.
So there you have it: Brianne Kimmel is not related to Jimmy Kimmel. She is just a smart, beautiful, and successful woman who happens to be dating a funny, handsome, and talented man.
