Taika Waititi’s wife is British singer Rita Ora. The couple have been together since 2021, married in August 2022 and live in Los Angeles. Before that, Waititi was married to New Zealand film producer Chelsea Winstanley from 2011 until they separated in 2018; they have two daughters.
The Oscar-winning director from Wellington has a new film, Klara and the Sun, opening in New Zealand cinemas on 22 October 2026. Here is who is in his family.
Taika Waititi and Rita Ora
Waititi and Rita Ora have been in a relationship since 2021 and married in August 2022. They live in Los Angeles.
| Rita Ora | Details |
| Birth name | Rita Sahatçiu |
| Born | 26 November 1990, Pristina (now Kosovo) |
| Known for | Singer and songwriter |
| Married Waititi | August 2022 |
Ora is 15 years younger than Waititi. She turns 36 on 26 November 2026.
Chelsea Winstanley, his ex-wife
Waititi met Chelsea Winstanley in 2010 and married her in 2011. They separated in 2018.
Winstanley is a film producer with Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāi Te Rangi ancestry through her mother. She produced What We Do in the Shadows and Jojo Rabbit, and in 2017 she co-founded Matewa Media, which makes te reo Māori versions of Disney films. In 2022 she was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to the screen industry and Māori. She also directed the 2020 documentary Toi Tū Toi Ora.
Taika Waititi’s children
Waititi and Winstanley have two daughters. Their names and ages are not public.
Taika Waititi’s parents and upbringing
His mother, Robin Cohen, is a schoolteacher of European descent, with Russian Jewish and Irish heritage. His father is a Māori artist of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui and French Canadian descent. His parents divorced when he was about five and he was raised mainly by his mother.
He grew up between Wellington’s Aro Valley and Raukokore in the Bay of Plenty, went to Onslow College and graduated from Victoria University of Wellington with a Bachelor of Arts in 1997.
His legal surname is Cohen, but he has been known mainly by his father’s surname, Waititi, for most of his life. Early on he used Cohen for film and writing and Waititi for his visual art.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Taika Waititi married to?
Singer Rita Ora. They married in August 2022 after getting together in 2021.
Who was Taika Waititi's first wife?
Film producer Chelsea Winstanley. They married in 2011 and separated in 2018.
How many kids does Taika Waititi have?
Two daughters, both with Chelsea Winstanley.
How old is Taika Waititi?
51. He was born on 16 August 1975 in Wellington.
Where do Taika Waititi and Rita Ora live?
Los Angeles.
