Netflix’s holiday rom-com Meet Me Next Christmas brings viewers a story that feels like a real-life fairytale. Christina Milian, who plays Layla, a woman trying to reconnect with a charming stranger she met last Christmas, says her on-screen chemistry with Devale Ellis and Kofi Siriboe was effortless.
She shared that both actors brought distinct, magnetic qualities to their roles, making it easy to portray the attraction with them. “Devale and Kofi are two very handsome men, but also two very unique guys,” Milian said. “I think women are going to be excited to see these men.”
Milian and Pokora celebrate family life with their two young sons, Isaiah and Kenna
While Meet Me Next Christmas revolves around the pursuit of love, many of the cast members have already found it in real life. Milian has been with her husband, French singer Matt Pokora, since 2017. Ellis and his wife, Khadeen, have been married since 2010. Here’s a closer look at the real-life partners of the cast.
Christina Milian and Matt Pokora
Milian and Pokora, who Milian calls her “twin flame” on Instagram, began their relationship in 2017 after a chance meeting at a restaurant in France. The moment they exchanged numbers, they discovered a striking coincidence—they shared the same birthday. “So it was our birthday that really brought us together.
It was meant to be,” Milian recalled during an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show. The couple has two children together, Isaiah, born in January 2020, and Kenna, born in April 2021. They moved to Paris in 2023 so their children could attend school there.
Devale Ellis and Khadeen Ellis
Devale Ellis plays Teddy, a concierge who helps Layla score the coveted Pentatonix tickets in the movie. In real life, Ellis and his wife Khadeen’s love story began in Brooklyn when they were both in elementary school.
Their journey together was explored in the 2023 documentary Love Against the World, where they shared their experience of growing together as individuals and as a couple. “We just knew we had to be together,” they said in an Instagram post.
The couple has been married since July 4, 2010, and shares four children: Jackson, Kairo, Kaz, and Dakota. They also co-host a podcast called Dead Ass with K&E and run a YouTube channel, The Ellises.
Kofi Siriboe
In Meet Me Next Christmas, Kofi Siriboe plays James, the handsome stranger Layla is eager to reconnect with at a Pentatonix concert. Siriboe, who is known for his role on Queen Sugar, was previously in a public relationship with model Duckie Thot, though they reportedly split in 2019.
The actor has been private about his dating life since then, but he did open up in 2020 about his focus on self-love. “Before I’m able to commit, I have to show myself that I can commit to myself and become the man I want to be,” Siriboe said during an interview on Essence’s Yes Girl! podcast.
Kirstin Maldonado and Ben Hausdorff
Kirstin Maldonado of Pentatonix found love at a concert, and in 2018, she met videographer and director Ben Hausdorff while on tour with the group. They got engaged in 2023 and tied the knot in April 2024 at a vineyard in McKinney, Texas, surrounded by family and friends, including the members of Pentatonix.
The couple welcomed their first child, Elliana Violet, in 2022. Hausdorff expressed his joy, saying, “I think we’ve finally caught up to our relationship or our relationship has finally caught up to where we are.”
Scott Hoying and Mark Manio
Scott Hoying, another member of Pentatonix, married his husband, Mark Manio, in a seaside ceremony in Santa Barbara in July 2023. Hoying described how the couple instantly connected at a friend’s birthday party in 2017.
On-screen chemistry shines between Milian and co-stars Devale Ellis and Kofi Siriboe
The two started spending every day together, and after six years, Hoying shared with PEOPLE in 2024, “We still haven’t lost our ‘honeymoon phase,’ and we couldn’t agree more.” They were joined by celebrities such as Colton Haynes and Randy Jackson at their wedding.
Kevin Olusola and Leigh Olusola
Kevin Olusola, known for his work with Pentatonix, and his wife Leigh Olusola met through a mutual friend and tied the knot in 2019 after a two-year relationship. The couple celebrated with a two-day wedding in Simi Valley, California, blending American and Nigerian traditions.
The first day honored Olusola’s Nigerian heritage, while the second day included Italian food and a villa setting for the American ceremony. The couple now has two children: Kai Noelle, born in 2021, and Christian, born in 2024.
Matt Sallee and Sarah Bishop
Pentatonix’s Matt Sallee and Sarah Bishop had an immediate connection when they met, much like the characters Layla and James in Meet Me Next Christmas.
After their first date, the couple felt certain about their bond. “We knew that this wasn’t a coincidence,” they said. They married in January 2022 in Malibu and welcomed their first child, Maliyah Michele Sallee, in August 2024.
