Why Did Billie Jean King Decide To Get Married In Private? Everything You Need To Know About Her Wedding With Ilana Kloss

The world knows Billie Jean King for the valuable impact that she has had on the women’s tennis scenario. But only a rare few are familiar with the details of the legend’s personal life. What is the story behind her wedding? Her partner? King’s life has been full of ups and downs, be it professional or private.

The story of King’s tying the knot with Ilana Kloss has a lot of unheard facts. Be it the tale of how they met or why they decided to marry secretly in a courtroom, this chapter in King’s life is nothing less than a timeless novel.

Why did Billie Jean King decide to keep her wedding with Ilana Kloss low-key?

Tennis legend Billie Jean King and her partner Ilana Kloss tied the knot in secret on October 18, 2018. On the contrary to what fans expected, the intimate ceremony held at former New York Mayor David Dinkins’ Manhattan apartment, was witnessed by Dinkins himself, while he was accompanied only by his wife Joyce Dinkins, and an aide.

The couple chose to keep their wedding under wraps, a decision that was King’s call. The private affair was a tribute to the activists who fought for marriage equality. King explained to PEOPLE, “So much of our life has been public, keeping this private was something special we could hold on to, just for us. We didn’t need the world to know. It was just about Billie and me and how we felt.”

The unique celebration saw a departure from traditional wedding customs. She shared, “Nobody threw rice or smashed wedding cake in the other’s face.” Describing their attire, she noted, “One of the brides wore jeans and a lovely red scarf, and the other had on a black shirt, a comfortable warm-up suit, and pearls — ha! — a personal touch of glamour that Ilana still teases me about.”

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The decision to keep their marital status a secret until the release of King’s memoir came as a surprise, to even their closest friends.

A marriage that was felt beyond papers

By the time Billie Jean King divorced Larry King in 1987, she had started dating Ilana Kloss. While the two shared a precious relationship, King also marked her feelings by mentioning, “I felt very married to Ilana, whether I had a piece of paper or not.” The tennis legend also highlighted the fact that she had trust issues during the phase.

While the marriage with Ilana worked out amazingly for Billie Jean King, she added, “But I’d had a big problem with trusting and it meant a lot to show my trust in Ilana.” Compressing the big paragraphs in a line to express her love for Kloss, King wrote to her wife in her memoir, “Years from now, I never want anyone to question how much I was committed to you.” As everything about Bille Jean King is a beacon of inspiration, her love story with Kloss is nothing different.

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