Celebrity News April 30, 2024
Billionaire Ankur Jain & Former WWE NXT Diva Erika Hammond Tie the Knot in Egypt
Tech billionaire Ankur Jain and former WWE wrestler Erika Hammond are married!
Over the weekend, the couple tied the knot at the Great Pyramid in Egypt.
Jain, the CEO of Bilt Rewards, told People, “We’re New Yorkers and there's something so special about being in a completely different world environment. So, we decided our wedding is about having a moment together to celebrate the new beginning, having a really special party with our friends somewhere where you're in a different world.”
Hammond, the creator of Knockout at Equinox, called it a “once-in-a-life experience.”
Their wedding was officiated by his friend and Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass.
Ankur shared, “It was so special having Dr. Zahi officiate. He has written every major book on Tutankhamen and the pyramids and he's such a character. At dinner one time while we were engaged, he goes, 'Erika and Ankur, I am pleased to be your officiate for the wedding.’”
Erika added, “We just said to ourselves, I guess we found our officiant! We couldn't have been happier."
Hammond walked down the aisle in a gown by Indian designer Rahul Mishra. She explained, “It was important to me to draw inspiration and celebrate my fiancé’s Indian culture, ancient Egyptian culture, and Western traditions. Since we weren't doing an Indian wedding, I wanted a little bit of Indian inspiration, mixed with a Cleopatra feel.”
Hammond also opened up about their vows, saying, “We wanted it to be very funny, very us. We were cracking jokes. It was an emotional moment, and I was about to cry. Then he cracked a joke and lightened the mood. It was so very authentic to us."
Jain admitted, “I lost my words for a moment, I was so emotional. There were a couple of moments when I looked at Erika and realized it was me and my wife standing in front of the pyramids, and I had to get my bearings. We were in the most magical place in human history to celebrate the most magical moment in our lives."
There were 130 guests — including Lance Bass, his husband Michael Turchin, “Million Dollar Listing New York’s” Ryan Serhant, and “Shark Tank’s” Kevin O’Leary — on hand to witness Ankur and Erika’s special day.
The couple opted for a nontraditional wedding, with no bridesmaids or groomsmen, toasts, or wedding cake cutting.
Jain quipped, “None of that should matter when you're getting an opportunity to sit and have dinner at the base of the pyramids!
During dinner, Robin Thicke and DJ Gryffin provided the music for the evening. Lance even did a surprise performance of *NSYNC’s iconic hit “Bye Bye Bye.”
Years ago, Ankur and Erika met at Rumble Boxing when she was an instructor at the gym, but things didn’t get romantic until sometime later.