'SNL' star Rachel Dratch Discovers Family Duties At Age 43, Son's Father Wasn't Her Husband

The 52-year-old American actress/comedian, Rachel Dratch is one of the famous names mostly known for her work in the American comedy show, Saturday Night Live (SNL) since 1999.

She is proud that she could excel remarkably in her youth days like she is now balancing both her maternal duties and professional dreams.     

Rachel Dratch Son & Husband

As per public records, Rachel, who is in her fifties now, isn't married to her son's father, John Wahl yet. Though she hasn't revealed on where her relationship with John stands right now,  she had said in a 2017 interview that John was co-parenting Eli with her and their relationship dynamics was unclear then. Therefore, Rachel personal life as of now is thought to be a mystery.

At present, Rachel is probably contributing her best efforts towards the growth of her son Eli, who was born in 2010 when she was in her forties. Ever since he was born, she has tried to tackle limitations and narrowed societal perceptions while balancing her professional life and personal obligations of upbringing Eli.

Rachel gets to improvise and practice less now in comparison to the times when she was childless. The scripted projects she has taken have far outnumbered improv projects she always loved since the birth of her son. Still, she is happy to acknowledge the humane self of her life.

Before Rachel was pregnant with Eli, she was not ready to handle the responsibilities as a mother because she was already in her 40's and excelling in her career. But her perspective on having a kid changed when she gave birth to her son Eli and started managing her professional life while upbringing him.

Not long after Eli's birth, her then-boyfriend and Elis father, John Wahl, also supported her by moving to New York to be around his Son Eli.

Boyfriend 

The father of Rachel's child, John Wahl, is not from the entertainment world. John Wahl is an experienced California-based-natural-foods-consultant. He currently works as the Director of National Sales for the food and beverage company,  Mamma Chia, according to his Linkedin profile. 

John was Rachel's boyfriend when  their daughter was born (Photo: Pinterest)

John and Rachel were dating when Eli was born in 2010. They first met in 2009 in a bar named Shoolbred’s in the East Village. The food and beverage industry professional, John, who had put a bacon-flavored lip balm, arrived in the bar while the famous actress was going for absinthe. She later invited him to her place after his personality impressed her. 

After their first meeting, both Rachel and John sparked a flirty, long-distance relationship. They even started meeting each other in cities and on Hawaiian islands.

Unexpected Pregnancy, Boyfriend Supports

After dating casually for six months, at the age of 43, Rachel found out that she was pregnant with her boyfriend. 

Revealing in an interview with PEOPLE in October 2010, she stated that she didn't expect to have kids in her forties. She said,  

“I had bought into all this stuff about, ‘Once you’re over 40…’ I’d gone through the whole process of letting go of [the idea of having kids]."

The news of Rachel's pregnancy also shocked her boyfriend, John. 

He asked her to retake the test, which again came out positive. Soon, the baby daddy moved to New York City to be close to his girlfriend and soon-to-be-born child.

Talking about the moment when he first knew Rachel was pregnant, in an interview with PEOPLE in October 2010, her long-time boyfriend added that the news was excitingly shocking, stating,  

“[Rachel] was resigned to the fact that this wasn’t going to happen and had written it off. That may add to the adrenaline and euphoria and excitement.”

Again in an interview with hollywoodlife.com in October 2010, Rachel's yet-to-be husband recalled the moment and expressed his love towards Rachel, saying,

"It was a no-brainer. I wanted to be a part of Eli’s life every day."

Finally, on 24 August 2010, the popular American actress gave birth to a son named Eli Benjamin but didn't disclose the name of the father. 

But after the birth of her son, Eli, Rachel started reading the crazy reports about Eli’s “unknown” father.

The satirical American show, 30 Rock star, Rachel then decides to reveal about the baby father to halt the crazy rumors.  

Reveals Her Boyfriend, Eli's Father, Motherly Experience

 She exclusively talked to  PEOPLE  in October 2010 addressing the insane theories, stating, 

“People are expecting the craziest story. I just meant it’s crazy for me!”

After the birth, the couple started to raise the baby together.

In 2012, Rachel, who belongs to Russian Jewish and Polish Jewish descent, was seen as a happy mother. 

In an interview with nypost.com in March 2012, the Dartmouth college graduate hoped that her story would help the single ladies realize the importance of motherhood. She said,  

"Not to get all cornball-Hallmark cards on you, but I feel like I was sent some Cinderella-type fairy godmother when I had Eli. I hope my story will make other single ladies feel good about themselves and help them realize that it’s never too late for them. I’m living proof.”

The mother of Eli, who then lived with John and El in the Union Square area, also talked about her future with her longtime boyfriend in the same interview, stating, 

“We’re still trying to figure out what we are to each other. Eli was a total surprise, and we’ve been so focused on him that we haven’t really had time to define what we are. We’re an unconventional New York family."

The surprise pregnancy was a major turning point in her life. She had to balance her professional life with her new-found personal one.

The couple, who then resided in the Union Square area, put all the focus on El and had less time for each other, but managed time for date night and "adult times."  

Rachel Dratch's Career

Rachel, who enjoys a net worth of $ 3 million is best known for the American television show, Saturday Night Live (SNL). She worked on the show for seven long seasons and became the longest-running female cast member on the show. In 2015, she bought an Apartment that is located around historic Stuyvesant Square in Manhattan for a whopping price of  $1,500,000.

She first left the show SNL(1999–2006, 2010–2011, 2017–present) in 2006 along with the likes of Horatio Sanz and later made a short return with Tina Fey in February 2018 with a sketch about the feud between Philadelphia and New England.

The first female cast member of SNL to turn forty, Rachel is also known for her acting in movies such as Spring Breakdown (2009), Just Go With It (2011), Sisters (2015). Her upcoming movies include Wine Country and Hurricane Bianca 2: From Russia With Hate. She recently starred in Netflix movie Wine Country(2019) along with her SNL costars, which was inspired by a real trip they took to Sonoma.