Anneliese van der Pol and Johnno Wilson Share Their Engagement Story and Future Plans
Disney fans, rejoice! There is a new fairy tale romance in town. Anneliese van der Pol, best known for playing Chelsea Daniels on That’s So Raven and its spin-off Raven’s Home, has announced her engagement to Johnno Wilson, her co-star on the latter show. The couple shared the happy news on their Instagram accounts on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, with adorable photos of the proposal. Van der Pol captioned her post with “Thank you Disney for bringing us together. I said yes!” while Wilson wrote “She said yes! I love you @anneliesevanderpol. You are my dream come true.”
Who is Anneliese van der Pol?
Anneliese van der Pol is a Dutch-born American actress and singer who rose to fame as the quirky and loyal best friend of Raven Baxter (played by Raven-Symoné) on the hit Disney Channel series That’s So Raven, which ran from 2003 to 2007. The show was a huge success, becoming Disney’s most-watched show with over 100 episodes. Van der Pol also reprised her role as Chelsea Daniels on the sequel series Raven’s Home, which premiered in 2017 and ended in 2021.
Besides her Disney career, van der Pol has also been active in the theater world, starring as Belle in the Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast in 2007, as well as in other musicals such as Vanities, Meet Me in St. Louis, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. She has also recorded several songs for Disney soundtracks, such as “Over It” for Stuck in the Suburbs, “A Day in the Sun” for That’s So Raven Too!, and “The Circle of Life” and “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” with other Disney stars.
Van der Pol was born in Naaldwijk, Netherlands, on September 23, 1984, to a Dutch father and an American mother. She moved to the United States when she was three years old and grew up in California. She attended the Orange County High School of the Arts, where she studied musical theater. She has two older sisters, Rachel and Sarah. She is also named after Anne Frank, the famous Jewish diarist who died in the Holocaust, as her mother is Jewish and visited the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.
Who is Johnno Wilson?
Johnno Wilson is an American actor and comedian who played Mitch Moseley, the goofy and fun-loving neighbor of Raven Baxter and Chelsea Daniels, on Raven’s Home. He joined the cast in the third season of the show in 2019 and became a series regular in the fourth and final season in 2020. He also appeared in other TV shows such as Modern Family, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and The Good Place, as well as in films such as The Wedding Year, The Unicorn, and The F**k-It List.
Wilson was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 14, 1986, to a family of Irish descent. He graduated from Boston College with a degree in theater and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career. He is also a member of the improv comedy group The Groundlings, where he performs regularly. He is also a passionate environmentalist and vegan, and often posts about his advocacy on his social media accounts.
We just had a vision and #ThatsSoRaven's Anneliese van der Pol is engaged to her #RavensHome co-star Johnno Wilson. 💍 See her stunning ring: https://t.co/ATu613yQdo
— E! News (@enews) December 28, 2023
(📷: Instagram) pic.twitter.com/ScyRtM9a9j
How did they meet and fall in love?
Van der Pol and Wilson met on the set of Raven’s Home, where they played love interests Chelsea Daniels and Mitch Moseley. According to Johnno Wilson, he was instantly smitten with van der Pol when he first saw her. He told People magazine in an interview, “I remember the first day I met her, I was so nervous. I walked into the hair and makeup trailer, and she was sitting in the chair, looking like an angel. I was speechless. She was so beautiful and funny and kind. I knew right away that she was the one for me.”
Van der Pol also felt a strong connection with Wilson, but she was hesitant to date him at first, as she had just gone through a divorce from her ex-husband, Daniel Gillies, whom she married in 2018 and separated from in 2020. She told People magazine, “I was not looking for love at that time. I was still healing from my divorce and focusing on my career. But Johnno was so persistent and charming. He would always make me laugh and surprise me with flowers and chocolates. He was so sweet and thoughtful. He made me feel special and loved. He was everything I ever wanted in a partner.”
The two eventually started dating in late 2019, after Wilson asked van der Pol out on a romantic date at Disneyland. They kept their relationship private for a while until they made their red carpet debut as a couple at the premiere of The Lion King in July 2020. Since then, they have been inseparable, often posting cute photos and videos of their adventures together on their Instagram accounts. They also adopted a dog named Luna, whom they call their “fur baby.”
How did Johnno Wilson propose?
Johnno Wilson popped the question to van der Pol on Christmas Eve, 2023, at the Magic Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. He planned the proposal with the help of his and van der Pol’s families, who were also there to witness the special moment. He told People magazine, “I wanted to propose to her at the happiest place on earth, because that’s how she makes me feel. She is my happy place. She is my magic. I also wanted to do it at Disney World because that’s where we had our first date and where we fell in love. It was the perfect place to start our forever.”
Wilson got down on one knee in front of Cinderella Castle, right before the fireworks show, and presented van der Pol with a stunning diamond ring. He said, “Anneliese, you are the love of my life, the light of my world, and the best thing that ever happened to me. You make me a better person every day. You are my soulmate, my best friend, and my partner in crime. I can’t imagine my life without you. Will you marry me?” Van der Pol was overjoyed and said yes, as the crowd cheered and the fireworks lit up the sky. They then hugged and kissed, as their families joined them to celebrate.
Anneliese van der Pol later shared a photo of the proposal on her Instagram account, with the caption, “Thank you, Disney, for bringing us together. I said yes!” Wilson also posted a photo of them kissing in front of the castle, with the caption, “She said yes! I love you @anneliesevanderpol. You are my dream come true.”
What are their plans for the future?
Van der Pol and Wilson have not revealed any details about their wedding plans yet, but they have expressed their excitement and happiness about their engagement. They told People magazine, “We are so happy and grateful to have found each other. We can’t wait to start our new chapter as husband and wife. We are looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together, growing old together, and making our dreams come true together. We are truly blessed.”
The couple also thanked their fans for their support and love, saying, “We want to thank our amazing fans for their kind words and congratulations. We appreciate you so much. You have been with us through our journey on Raven’s Home and beyond. You are like family to us. We love you all.”
Van der Pol and Wilson are currently enjoying their engagement and spending quality time with each other and their families. They are also working on their respective careers, as van der Pol is set to star in a new Netflix comedy series called The Nanny Diaries, based on the bestselling novel by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, while Wilson is working on his comedy special for HBO Max, called Johnno Wilson: Live from the Groundlings. They are also planning to collaborate on some projects together, as they have both expressed their interest in writing, producing, and directing.
Anneliese van der Pol and Johnno Wilson are one of the most adorable and talented couples in Hollywood, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavors. Congratulations to the happy couple!
