Kat Dennings Lived by This Motto About Relationships and Marriage Before She Wed Andrew W.K.

Kat Dennings followed a famous philosophy before getting married.

During her appearance on The View on Tuesday, Jan. 7, the actress, 38, promoted her new show, Shifting Gears, and reflected on a year of marriage with musician Andrew W.K., 45. The couple exchanged vows during a “small home wedding” in November 2023.

“You just celebrated your first wedding anniversary with musician Andrew W. K., congratulations,” cohost Sara Haines told Dennings before asking, “Were you a big dater before you got married? Did you always think you’d get married?”

The Two Broke Girls star admitted that navigating romantic relationships before marriage wasn’t easy.

“It’s the worst. It’s the worst, isn’t it? It’s terrible,” she responded. “I was in a few long relationships and I tried to date a little bit, it was just a nightmare.” 

Her perspective on relationships at the time stemmed from a 2016 quote from Whoopi Goldberg.

“I actually lived by a quote from you, Whoopi,” Dennings said. “Correct me if this is the wrong quote, but I did look it up to make sure: I don’t want somebody in my house.”

But since saying “I do,” Dennings’ feelings have changed.

“Those were my feelings towards marriage in general until I met my husband,” she said. “Now I like him in my house. I want him in my house!”

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Goldberg famously told the phrase to The New York Times in 2016, noting that she was “not that interested” in marriage — primarily because she liked to live by herself. “I’m much happier on my own,” she said at the time. “I can spend as much time with somebody as I want to spend, but I’m not looking to be with somebody forever or live with someone.”

Over the years, the comedian — who has been married three times — has echoed those sentiments in various interviews.

Shifting Gears premieres Jan. 8 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, and follows a widowed father (Tim Allen) and his estranged daughter (Dennings) who find themselves living together and working to repair their relationship.