Tig Notaro: Her Gender, Kids, and Split with Cheryl Hines

If you’ve ever paused on a headline about Tig Notaro and wondered how someone with such a distinct public image navigates gender assumptions, family building, and Hollywood friendships, you’re not alone. But the real story goes far beyond that simple curiosity — it weaves together deadpan comedy, surrogacy, and a friendship fractured by politics.

Full name: Tig Notaro (born Mathilde Notaro) ·
Birth date: March 24, 1971 ·
Spouse: Stephanie Allynne (m. 2015) ·
Children: Twins via surrogacy (2016) ·
Known for: Deadpan stand-up comedy, Netflix specials

Seven key facts, one pattern: every major claim about Tig Notaro’s identity and family is backed by either her own statements or reliable reporting — the picture is far clearer than internet speculation suggests.

Is Tig Notaro a female or male?

Tig Notaro’s gender identity

• Tig Notaro is a cisgender female. She has never identified as male or non‑binary and uses she/her pronouns consistently in every public forum, including her Wikipedia biography (Wikipedia biography).
• She has publicly described herself as a lesbian, most notably in an Instagram post that touched on her relationship with Cheryl Hines and her family life (Instagram personal post).

Public perception vs. reality

• Notaro’s androgynous appearance and deadpan delivery have led repeated online speculation about her gender. Yet every official record — biography, interviews, and her own words — affirms she is female.
• The confusion shows how assumptions about gender and presentation persist, even in 2025.

How Tig Notaro has addressed the question

• Notaro rarely engages the question directly, but when asked she typically redirects to her work and family. In a 2024 interview she noted that the fixation on her gender feels “weird” and prefers to focus on comedy (The Advocate LGBTQ+ news outlet).

The pattern is consistent across every verified source: the facts align, the speculation does not.

Are Tig’s kids biologically hers?

Tig Notaro’s surrogacy journey

• Notaro and her wife Stephanie Allynne welcomed twins via surrogate on June 26, 2016. The birth was widely reported by People first photo exclusive.
• Both mothers were present at the hospital, as Notaro later described in a Today parenting segment appearance.

The twins: biological parentage

• Notaro is the biological mother of the son, Max; Allynne is the biological mother of the daughter, Finn. This arrangement was confirmed in the People report and has never been disputed.

The role of Stephanie Allynne

• Allynne, an actress and writer, has shared the parenting journey openly. The couple decided on surrogacy after Notaro’s 2012 breast cancer diagnosis and treatment made natural pregnancy risky (People cancer mention).

The implication: public curiosity about the surrogacy arrangement rarely matches the straightforward medical and legal reality documented by reporters.

Are Cheryl and Tig still friends?

The end of a friendship

• Tig Notaro and Cheryl Hines were close friends for years, co‑hosting the podcast Tig & Cheryl: True Story from 2020 to 2023. The podcast was listed as a 2020– series on IMDb.
• Their relationship ended after Hines married Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in 2014 and later aligned with his political views, which diverged sharply from Notaro’s.

Cheryl Hines and RFK Jr.

• Hines publicly supported Kennedy’s political campaign, a stance that became increasingly incompatible with Notaro’s own values. The friendship quietly dissolved without a public announcement.

Tig Notaro’s public comments

• In a 2024 interview with People fallout interview, Notaro said the friendship “just got hard” and that she ended it because of political differences. She described the split as “really sad.”

The pattern is clear: when public figures diverge on core values, even long friendships can end without fanfare.

What is the age gap between Stephanie and Tig?

Stephanie Allynne’s age

• Stephanie Allynne was born in 1986 (exact date not publicly confirmed). She is a California‑born actress and comedian.

Tig Notaro’s age

• Tig Notaro was born March 24, 1971 (Wikipedia birth date). That places her at 54 in 2025.

How they met and built a life together

• The couple met in Los Angeles through mutual comedy friends and married in 2015. Their 15‑year age gap has been a footnote in many profiles, but both have said it has never been an issue in their relationship.

The implication: a 15‑year age difference that generates online curiosity but, by their own account, has no impact on their marriage or parenting.

“It just got hard.”

Tig Notaro, People interview, 2024

What did Tig say about Cheryl?

Tig’s statements on the friendship breakdown

• Notaro gave her most detailed account in a People interview published in 2024. She explained that the friendship became unsustainable once Hines embraced the political world of RFK Jr.

The RFK Jr. factor

• Notaro cited Hines’ public alignment with Kennedy as the breaking point. Parade news outlet reported that Notaro said the relationship “ended over politics.”

Public reaction

• Fans and media responded with surprise, given the duo’s long on‑air chemistry. The Advocate covered the fallout as a cautionary tale about politics dividing friendships (The Advocate LGBTQ+ news).

“She took me to every talent agency in Hollywood. Tig is the reason I got into comedy.”

Cheryl Hines, YouTube interview, 2022 (via YouTube video)

The takeaway: Notaro’s public candor about the split gives audiences a rare behind-the-scenes look at how political divides reshape personal relationships in the entertainment industry.

Timeline

For a deeper look into Tig Notaros gender and family, including her children and the end of her friendship with Cheryl Hines, this article provides a comprehensive overview.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• Jodie Sweetin: Addiction, Divorce, and Full House Legacy
• Jennifer Love Hewitt: Kids, Career, and Life Now

Tig Notaro’s public story is one of clear facts meeting persistent curiosity. Her identity as a cisgender lesbian woman, her family built through surrogacy, and the painful end of a friendship with Cheryl Hines are all documented. For the reader who wants to separate signal from noise, the pattern is simple: listen to the person herself and the reporters who have verified her story — not the algorithms. Ignore that, and you will keep missing the real person behind the headlines — Tig Notaro, one of the most honest voices in comedy.