Jenni Konner’s husband is filmmaker and television director Richard Shepard. The Girls writer and producer has been in a long-term relationship with Shepard for years, and the two later married after first being publicly linked in the early 2010s.
Before marrying Richard Shepard, Jenni Konner was previously married to Benjamin Cooley. Konner and Cooley share two children, a daughter and a son, and remained connected as co-parents after their marriage ended. Cooley later also worked with Konner professionally as CEO of Lenny, the media company she created with Lena Dunham.
Konner has generally kept her marriage and children away from heavy public attention, but parts of her personal life have appeared in interviews over the years. Her relationship history therefore includes a previous marriage, two children, and her current husband, Richard Shepard, who has also worked alongside her in television.
Who Is Jenni Konner’s Husband, Richard Shepard?
Jenni Konner’s husband is Richard Shepard, a filmmaker and television director who has been part of her life for well over a decade. Although the couple has kept many details of their marriage private, their relationship was already public during the early years of HBO’s Girls.
By January 2013, Konner and Shepard were living together with her two children from her previous marriage. At the time, The Daily Beast identified Shepard as Konner’s boyfriend and reported that the household included her then-eight-year-old daughter and six-year-old son.
Their relationship also became closely connected to Girls. Shepard was dating Konner when he began directing the series during its first season. He later recalled feeling additional pressure because of their relationship, saying, “My girlfriend is the showrunner, so I don’t want to ruin that relationship.” Through Konner, Shepard had also become close with Lena Dunham before taking on his directing role.
Konner and Shepard were still publicly described as a couple several years later. In a 2017 interview with Filmmaker Magazine, Shepard said, “I date [Girls executive producer] Jenni Konner,” while discussing a trip the pair had taken to Tokyo. That personal trip eventually influenced a Girls storyline and also helped inspire Shepard’s short film Tokyo Project.
Their relationship later became a marriage, although Konner and Shepard do not appear to have publicly shared many details about their wedding. More recent coverage has clearly identified Shepard as Konner’s husband. In 2025, TIME reported that Konner brought several former Girls collaborators onto Nobody Wants This, including Shepard, whom the publication identified as her husband.
The couple has therefore been together since at least the early 2010s, with Shepard also becoming part of the family Konner had already built with her two children.
Jenni Konner and Richard Shepard’s Relationship and Marriage
Konner and Richard Shepard have been together since at least the early 2010s. In a 2013 interview, The Daily Beast described Shepard as Konner’s boyfriend and reported that the couple was living together with her two children from a previous marriage.
Their relationship also overlapped with their work on Girls. Shepard later recalled that Konner was already his girlfriend when he began directing the HBO series, saying he was especially conscious of doing a good job because “my girlfriend is the showrunner.”
Konner and Shepard eventually married, although they have kept details such as their wedding date and ceremony largely private. By 2025, TIME was publicly identifying Shepard as Konner’s husband while discussing their continued professional connection on Nobody Wants This.
Who Was Jenni Konner’s First Husband, Benjamin Cooley?
Before marrying Richard Shepard, Jenni Konner was married to Benjamin Cooley. He is also the father of Konner’s two children, a daughter and a son. Fortune identified Cooley as Konner’s ex-husband and the father of their children while profiling the launch of Lenny, the media company Konner co-founded with Lena Dunham.
Despite their divorce, Konner and Cooley maintained both a co-parenting and professional relationship. Cooley later became CEO of Lenny, meaning he worked closely with his former wife on the business. In a 2017 interview, he acknowledged that unusual dynamic, saying, “Obviously it’s interesting working for my ex-wife.” He added that their history made communication between them more direct and honest.
Konner has not publicly shared many details about when she and Cooley married or why their marriage ended. However, the former couple continued raising their two children together after their separation.
How Many Children Does Jenni Konner Have?
Konner has two children, a daughter and a son, from her previous marriage to Benjamin Cooley. The former couple continued to co-parent after their divorce, and Konner has generally kept both children away from the public spotlight.
A 2013 profile reported that Konner was living with Richard Shepard and her two children, who were then eight and six years old. Years later, Konner described Cooley as “the perfect co-parent,” suggesting that they maintained a close working relationship when it came to raising their family.
Konner has shared very little publicly about her children’s personal lives, and their names and current careers have largely remained private.
