The First Thing Ice T Noticed About Wife Coco Was Unexpected: "Keeping It 100..."
The Law & Order: SVU star has been married to model Coco Austin since 2002.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Ice T and his wife, Coco Austin, are such a match. And how they met is so cute.
During a 2017 interview with Mario Lopez, the couple told the story of their first-ever meeting. In late 2001, Ice T was filming a music video for a friend, and Austin was on set as one of the video's featured models. Hilariously, Ice T recalled that he was having a "Grump Day" during that shoot — meaning he was in a bad mood — but meeting his future bride definitely turned things around.
Ice T explained that his producer friend attempted to cheer up the legendary hip-hop artist by introducing him to Austin, something the rapper usually doesn't like people doing.
"I don't like to be introduced to people, especially girls," he said. "Now you feel accommodating to be nice, and they might not even be your flavor."
Once Ice T saw Austin, though, his tune changed.
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"I turned around, and the first thing I saw was her teeth," he explained. "Now, I'm keeping it 100, I looked at her teeth."
"In the words of Iceberg Slim, I struggled to remain calm," he continued. "So I kept it cool. I said, 'Would you ever consider dating a gangster rapper?'"
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"I didn't know what a gangster rapper was," Austin admitted. "...And I go, 'Well, if he's nice.'"
Ice T added, "[Then] I go, 'Well, baby, if you take the 'N' off 'Nice,' you get 'Ice.'"
They married just two months after that first encounter, and they've been together ever since — so it's safe to say Ice T's line worked!
Ice T gave some sage advice to Mariska Hargitay
Ice T and Mariska Hargitay have worked side-by-side for over 25 years on SVU, so they've learned a thing or two from one another. In a 2023 interview with People, Ice T opened up about the lessons they've taught each other and revealed the valuable piece of advice he gave his co-star at one point.
"I taught Mariska one thing," Ice T told the outlet. "I learned that you have to learn how to say no sometimes. Mariska's a very giving person, and it can make you sick worrying about other people and not taking care of yourself. I believe that a lot of times people need to use that word 'no.' We keep each other sane."
