Introduction
Ari Dayan is a Californian singer, songwriter, and performance artist whose work blends pop music, comedy, and theatrical performance. Best known to the wider public as the wife of actor Brett Gelman — Murray Bauman on Stranger Things and Martin on Fleabag — Dayan has built a distinct artistic identity with high-energy pop singles and character-driven music videos. Her 2022 single “Love,” directed by Gelman, showcased her comic sensibility and powerhouse voice.
Dayan and Gelman were engaged in April 2023 in Jerusalem and married on June 22, 2024, at Villa Lena in Tuscany in a Jewish ceremony described as both wild and intimate. A granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, she has spoken openly about how her family’s history shaped her art, including her song “Sara.” Her public work reveals an artist who treats music as celebration, self-acceptance, and joyful spectacle.
Quick Bio
| Full Name | Ari Dayan |
| Born | Not publicly disclosed |
| Birthplace | California, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse / Relations | Married to actor Brett Gelman since June 2024; granddaughter of Holocaust survivors |
| Children | None publicly reported |
| Known For | Singer-songwriter (“Love,” “Undeserving,” “Sara”); wife of Brett Gelman |
| Net Worth | Not publicly disclosed |
| Residence | Los Angeles, California, USA |
Early Life and Background
Ari Dayan was raised in California, where she grew up immersed in the performing arts. Writing about her in 2022, the music publication Consequence described her as an “LA pop singer-songwriter” who “spent her youth imbued in the performing arts,” and that training shows in her dance ability, her alto voice, and her songwriting.
What she has shared publicly is the influence of her family. Dayan has spoken about her grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, and has said that her grandmother inspired her song “Sara.” That family history is a quiet but important thread in her public identity: she has posted from Tel Aviv, performed in Hebrew, and described her Jewish heritage as central to how she sees herself. California gave her the stage; her family’s story gave her something to sing about.
Music Career and Songs
Dayan’s recorded music moves confidently between styles. Her single “Undeserving” channels the smoky torch-song tradition of Julie London and Amy Winehouse; its video finds Dayan convincingly portraying three historical women — Eve, Joan of Arc, and Marie Antoinette — who all suffered for their loyalty to the undeserving. The contrast with “Love” could hardly be sharper: a sugary, radically optimistic pop single built for the dance floor, with the word “love” reportedly appearing more than sixty times in just over two minutes.
Her catalog also includes “Sara,” written in honor of her Holocaust-survivor grandmother — a more personal side of her songwriting. Dayan’s music consistently pairs serious themes with buoyant delivery — self-acceptance, loyalty, and love for one’s roots, dressed up in catchy, danceable arrangements. That combination of weight and playfulness has become her signature as a recording artist.
The “Love” Music Video — Directed by Brett Gelman
Dayan’s 2022 single “Love” was co-written with Aaron “KoKo” Komenski, a songwriter who has penned hits for Katy Perry and others. The accompanying music video marked Brett Gelman’s debut as a director. Premiered exclusively by Consequence on April 28, 2022, the video shows Dayan dancing full-out through a comic examination of self-acceptance — a woman learning to laugh at her own insecurities.
The video was a true collaboration. Gelman called it “a total equal collaboration,” praising Dayan as “a comic genius.” Dayan said they found their mutual voice quickly: “We speak the same language when it comes to what’s funny.” She has called the video “a love letter” to the joy of laughing at herself — and the clip features Gelman himself as an old Jewish man dancing, his “Jaddy” persona.
Relationship with Brett Gelman
Ari Dayan and Brett Gelman were reported to have been together since 2019 before their engagement was announced. Early on, they collaborated on the “Love” video, gave a joint interview to Ladygunn magazine in 2022, and posted a Hanukkah singalong recorded in their Los Angeles home, with Dayan singing in Israeli-accented Hebrew. Gelman has said of her work, “It goes without saying that Ari’s music deeply inspires me.”
Their relationship developed largely out of the celebrity spotlight. Unlike Gelman’s previous marriage to director Janicza Bravo (2015–2018), his relationship with Dayan was introduced to the public through their work and shared humor rather than red-carpet appearances. By their engagement announcement, they had spent years building both a romance and a creative partnership.
The Jerusalem Engagement
In April 2023, Brett Gelman proposed to Ari Dayan in Jerusalem, with the Western Wall and the Jerusalem skyline as the backdrop. The actor announced the news on Instagram with a jubilant “SHE SAID YES!!!,” while Dayan joked in her own post, “Can’t wait for Mr. Gelman to become Mr. Dayan” — to which Gelman playfully replied, “Just call me Mr. D!!!” The proposal made international entertainment news. The location carried deep personal meaning: Dayan has frequently shared her connection to Israel, from posts in Tel Aviv to songs rooted in her family’s history.
The engagement announcement confirmed a partnership grounded in shared heritage, shared humor, and a willingness to be publicly themselves.
The Tuscan Wedding
On June 22, 2024, the couple married at Villa Lena in Tuscany, Italy, in front of around 75 guests. People magazine described it as a wild, intimate weekend celebration blending Jewish tradition — including the breaking of the glass — with playful personal touches. The reception unfolded amid the Tuscan countryside with aperitivo spritzes, and festivities reportedly continued the next day with a Golden Girls-themed drag show.
The fashion choices were as unconventional as the couple. Dayan wore a skirt with high slits, thigh wedding garters, and a flowing veil, while Gelman wore a sheer long-sleeve shirt with an oversized bow and satin white pants — an outfit that later set social media alight. Beneath the spectacle was a genuinely emotional ceremony: two artists marking their union on their own terms.
Jewish Heritage and Family History
Dayan’s Jewish identity runs through her life and work. As a granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, she has honored her grandmother with the song “Sara,” posted videos from Tel Aviv, recorded music in Hebrew, and joined Gelman in sharing their Jewish heritage with fans through their at-home Hanukkah singalong. Her heritage is not a footnote to her art — it is one of its foundations.
That identity has also shaped the couple’s public voice. Gelman has become increasingly vocal about Jewish culture and comedy, and the two have presented a united front in celebrating their shared background. For Dayan, songs about love and loyalty sit alongside songs about memory and survival, all delivered with the same conviction.
Performance Art and Public Image
Dayan describes herself as a performance artist, and her work reflects that training. The “Undeserving” video — with its trio of historical character portrayals — and the physical, dance-heavy “Love” video show an artist who thinks in terms of staging and persona, not just melody. Interviewers have highlighted her dance ability and theatrical confidence as her distinguishing qualities.
Her public image is built on warmth and self-deprecation rather than mystique. In interviews she has joked about her own insecurities and embraced the messiness of life as creative fuel. That candor, paired with showbiz polish, has earned her a reputation as equal parts entertainer and truth-teller.
Is Ari Dayan the Imperial MBA Student?
A quick note for readers doing their own research: the Ari Dayan who is married to Brett Gelman is not the only person with that name in public records. There is also an Ari Dayan known as a business student associated with Imperial College Business School’s MBA program — a completely different person with a completely different career.
The singer profiled here is the Los Angeles-based musician, songwriter, and performance artist who released “Love” in 2022 and married Gelman in 2024. When searching for her music, photos, or interviews, look for the artist credits, the Brett Gelman connection, or the “Love” music video to make sure you have found the right Ari Dayan.
Conclusion
Ari Dayan has carved out an artistic identity entirely her own: a Californian pop singer and performance artist whose songs about self-acceptance, loyalty, and love come wrapped in irresistible hooks and theatrical flair. Her collaborations with Brett Gelman — most notably the “Love” music video — revealed a creative partnership built on equal parts humor and heart, a dynamic that carried them from their Jerusalem engagement to their Tuscan wedding.
With her Jewish heritage, her family’s history, and her unapologetic comic voice all feeding into her work, Dayan is a pop performer who can play three historical heroines in one video, joke about her own insecurities in the next breath, and still deliver a chorus you cannot get out of your head. Her story is still being written, but the opening chapters are unmistakably hers.
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