'I Love Being Right!': Melissa Joan Hart Knew She Was Going To Marry Her Husband From The Start

Since her days as a young actor in the '90s, Melissa Joan Hart has undergone a complete transformation. Hart, who is perhaps best known for her respective sitcom roles as the titular characters from "Clarissa Explains It All" and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," went from teen TV star to respected entertainment industry veteran. In 2002, one year before "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" would come to an end, Hart met her husband, Mark Wilkerson, to whom she is still married today. On May 4, 2026, Hart celebrated the 24th anniversary of their first meeting, taking to Instagram to share a throwback picture, as well as the story of the encounter, with her fans.

According to Hart, the pair first met at a gala before the 2002 Kentucky Derby. After talking to Wilkerson, a musician, and snapping a picture with him, she was smitten — and even managed to get his tour manager's number. "The next day I told everyone that I met the man I was going to [marry]," Hart wrote. "I love being right! And I love this man more than anything!" 

Hart wasn't the only one who felt sparks right away. According to Wilkerson's sister Sally, he was actually very excited to meet Hart as well. "He tried to play it all cool, but he knew who she was. I screamed and I told my friends, 'My brother just met Melissa Joan Hart and she asked for his number,'" she told People in 2014. Even though Hart was one of the worst-dressed celebs at the 2026 Kentucky Derby, it's sweet that she'd only met her husband 24 years prior because of the event. 

Melissa Joan Hart and Mark Wilkerson have been married for nearly 23 years. The longtime couple shares three sons, Mason, Braydon, and Tucker, with Wilkerson opting to be a stay-at-home dad so Hart could continue her work in the entertainment industry. Even back in 2009, Hart gushed over how supportive Wilkerson was, and how collaborative they were when it came to parenting. "[My husband] is able to travel with me to most places and is a great dad," Hart said during an interview with Woman's Day. "He changes more diapers than I do, he cooks — if it wasn't for him I'm not sure how I could do it." 

Hart has also spoken about how they have maintained their relationship over the years (besides sending "dirty gifs" back and forth): by making time for each other. "We do day dates, we do lunches, we work out together a lot," she told People in 2018. 

Hart celebrates her and Wilkerson's relationship on social media quite often. In a December 2021 Instagram post, Hart recalled how Wilkerson proposed to her in late 2002, sharing one photo of the two of them in the Sierra Nevada mountains in 2002, alongside a 2021 recreation. "How it started ... how it's going!! 19 years ago, on #BoxingDay, I was given a ring as a belated Christmas gift from the man I love," she wrote. "This year, in the same town, in the deep snow, we recreated this happy moment ... It was Mark's first time in Sierra snow and we both fell in love with the town and have lived here for 16 years now. Happy Boxing Day!"