Jon Batiste and longtime partner Suleika Jaouad revealed hours before he won five Grammys on Sunday that they tied the knot in a secret February ceremony, one day before Jaouad underwent a bone marrow transplant.
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“We had this tiny, beautiful little ceremony. We didn’t have wedding bands, we used bread ties,” Jaouad said during a “CBS Sunday Morning ” interview.
Read More Jaouad, the author of the best-selling cancer memoir “Between Two Kingdoms,” is battling leukemia for the second time in a decade, Billboard reported.
Batiste’s proposal, however, had been in the works for months prior to Jaouad’s recurrence, according to The Hollywood Reporter .
“He said to me, ‘I just want to be very clear, I’m not proposing to you because of this diagnosis. It’s taken me a year to design your ring. So, just know this timing has nothing to do with it. But what I do want you to know is that this diagnosis doesn’t change anything. It just makes it all the clearer to me that I want to commit to this and for us to be together.’ But once we realized we had this tiny window before the bone marrow transplant, we decided to go for it,” Jaouad told “CBS Sunday Morning.”
In turn, she said the couple “walked into that bone marrow transplant unit on cloud nine.”
“We were so happy, so brimming with love and positivity from this beautiful evening that we’d had, and I really believe that that carried us through. That sense of community, that sense of love, that sense of joy and spontaneity were so important,” Jaouad added.
Batiste, who led Sunday’s 64th Grammy Awards with 11 nominations, won five awards, including album of the year for “We Are.” He also won best American roots song, best American roots performance, best music video for “Freedom” and tied with Carlos Rafael Rivera for best score soundtrack for visual media for his work on “Soul.”
>> Related: 2022 Grammy Awards: See the complete winners list
The crooner told “CBS Sunday Morning” that the couple’s marriage after eight years together was most certainly an “act of defiance.”
“The darkness will try to overtake you, but just turn on the light. Focus on the light. Hold onto the light,” he said.
Suleika Jaouad through the years Suleika Jaouad, left, and Jon Batiste arrive at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Images) (Danny Moloshok/Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP)
Suleika Jaouad through the years Suleika Jaouad arrives at the 4th Annual Stand Up 2 Cancer Live Benefit at The Dolby Theatre on Friday, Sept. 5, 2014, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) (Jordan Strauss/Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Suleika Jaouad through the years Columnist Suleika Jaouad attends Angel Ball 2013 on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP) (Andy Kropa/Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)
Suleika Jaouad through the years Jon Batiste, left, and Suleika Jaouad arrive at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Images) (Vince Bucci/Vince Bucci/Invision/AP)
Suleika Jaouad through the years Recoriding Artist Jon Batiste and Writer Suleika Jaouad attend the Universal Music Group's Grammy after party at Spring Studios on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018, in New York. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP) (Scott Roth/Scott Roth/Invision/AP)
Suleika Jaouad through the years Suleika Jaouad attends the 2016 Angel Ball, benefitting Gabrielle's Angel Foundation for Cancer Research, at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) (Evan Agostini/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Suleika Jaouad through the years Jon Batiste, left, and Suleika Jaouad arrive at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Images) (Willy Sanjuan/Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)
Suleika Jaouad through the years Suleika Jaouad, left, and Jon Batiste arrive at the 60th annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) (Evan Agostini/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Suleika Jaouad through the years Stephen Colbert, Suleika Jaouad, Jon Batiste and Evelyn McGee-Colbert arrive at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Images) (Danny Moloshok/Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP)
Suleika Jaouad through the years Jon Batiste, left, and Suleika Jaouad, right, attend the The Gordon Parks Foundation Annual Awards Dinner and Auction at Cipriani 42nd Street on Tuesday, June 6, 2017, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP) (Andy Kropa/Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)
Suleika Jaouad through the years Suleika Jaouad attends the Angel Ball 2012 at Cipriani Wall Street on Oct. 22, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Steve Mack/Getty Images) (Steve Mack/Getty Images)
Suleika Jaouad through the years NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 22: Denise Rich, Smokey Robinson and Suleika Jaouad attend the Angel Ball 2012 hosted by Gabrielle's Angel Foundation at Cipriani Wall Street on October 22, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage for Gabrielle's Angel Foundation) (Theo Wargo)
Suleika Jaouad through the years Kim Kardashian, Suleika Jaouad and Kayne West attend the Angel Ball 2012 hosted by Gabrielle's Angel Foundation at Cipriani Wall Street on Oct. 22, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage for Gabrielle's Angel Foundation) (Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage for Gabrielle's Angel Foundation via Getty Images)
Suleika Jaouad through the years NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 01: Suleika Jaouad attends the 34th annual News & Documentary Emmy awards at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on October 1, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Rommel Demano/Getty Images) (Rommel Demano/Getty Images)
Suleika Jaouad through the years VANCOUVER, CANADA – APRIL 19: Writer Suleika Jaouad rehearses backstage at TED2019 - Bigger Than Us on April 19, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Lawrence Sumulong/Getty Images) (Lawrence Sumulong/Getty Images)
Suleika Jaouad through the years NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 20: Suleika Jaouad (L) and Jon Batiste attend Angel Ball 2014 hosted by Gabrielle's Angel Foundation at Cipriani Wall Street on October 20, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Gabrielle's Angel Foundation) (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Gabrielle's Angel Foundation)
Suleika Jaouad through the years Musician Jon Batiste and Suleika Jaouad arrive for the formal Artist's Dinner honoring the recipients of the 41st Annual Kennedy Center Honors hosted by United States Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan at the US Department of State in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, December 1, 2018. The 2018 honorees are: singer and actress Cher; composer and pianist Philip Glass; Country music entertainer Reba McEntire; and jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter. This year, the co-creators of Hamilton, writer and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, director Thomas Kail, choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler, and music director Alex Lacamoire will receive a unique Kennedy Center Honors as trailblazing creators of a transformative work that defies category.
(Photo by Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images) (Ron Sachs/Getty Images)
Suleika Jaouad through the years NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 8: Jon Batiste, Suleika Jaouad and Defne Egbo attend Warner Bros. Hosts A Special Screening Of "Just Mercy" at DGA Theater on September 8, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Paul Bruinooge/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images) (Paul Bruinooge/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
Suleika Jaouad through the years NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 27: Recording artist Lang Lang, Recording Academy and MusiCares President/CEO Neil Portnow, recording artist Jon Batiste, writer Suleika Jaouad and recording artist Rita Ora attend the Clive Davis and Recording Academy Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Jay-Z on January 27, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for NARAS) (Michael Kovac/Getty Images for NARAS)
Suleika Jaouad through the years LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 25: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) In this handout photo provided by A.M.P.A.S., (L-R) Suleika Jaouad and Jon Batiste attend the 93rd Annual Academy Awards at Union Station on April 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Sayles/A.M.P.A.S. via Getty Images) (Matt Sayles/A.M.P.A.S. via Getty Images)
Suleika Jaouad through the years NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 28: Suleika Jaouad arrives at the Angel Ball 2019 hosted by Gabrielle's Angel Foundation at Cipriani Wall Street on October 28, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Getty Images for Gabrielle's Angel Foundation) (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Getty Images for Gabrielle's Angel Foundation)