Lauren Compton's Complicated Life: From Divorce to Loss of Her Boyfriend to a Fresh Start (2024)

Years after her divorce from her first husband, Lauren is seemingly planning to become a bride again!

A stand-up comedian and the host of First Date, Lauren Compton has had relationships with over ten partners, each uniquely contributing to her life’s story. Tragically, one of these relationships ended when her partner died from a drug overdose.

In an interview with YMH Studios in June 2023, Compton, 36, detailed this heartbreaking experience. She described her then-boyfriend, during a trip to Mexico, unknowingly purchased fentanyl-laced Xanax from a pharmacy. “He never woke up,” she said. The couple had been together for seven months, during which Compton had also moved to Austin to be closer to him.

Unfortunately, she was in Los Angeles on a short trip when she received the devastating news of his overdose.

“I went to LA for like one night and that one night I got a phone call that he overdosed,” she disclosed.

Prior to this tragic chapter, Lauren’s romantic history unfolded quite differently when she met an Italian guy named Manuel Giusti in her early 20s. Their relationship began with a long-distance romance, cycling between Italy and America. After about two years, they married in 2012.

The marriage, however, was more out of necessity than pure romance—Giusti needed a green card. “I loved him but we had to get married in order for him to get a green card,” she explained. She admitted that if Manuel had been American, they probably would have just continued dating.

“well I think if he would have been American we wouldn’t have gotten married we would have just kept dating,” Lauren said during the podcast.

During their marriage, Compton and her ex-husband Giusti, the bass player for Dekkar, also embarked on a musical journey together, forming a band called Gsquared and managing a YouTube channel named Lauren Elise. This channel, described as “all about Lauren & Manuel, the best couple in the world,” served as a platform for them to post their live performances and music videos.

They also co-written a song ‘Something More,’ which Lauren announced on her Twitter in October 2014.

However, the relationship took a downturn when the former Playboy model discovered Giusti’s infidelity. She shared how she used the ‘Find My iPhone’ feature one night when Manuel didn’t return home. Her search led her to a nearby house, where she found him looking disheveled early the next morning. During the confrontation, she learned of his affair with a restaurant hostess at the restaurant where he was a manager. This quickly led to their divorce.

Despite the bitter end to their marriage, Compton and her ex-spouse have managed to establish a form of friendship. She said, “I don’t hate him with like some crazy aggression.”

Following her divorce, her romantic life continued to be eventful. She said, “when he cheated on me I was like. I had revenge and then I had a boyfriend that didn’t work out. I had another boyfriend he died,” which we have already mentioned above.

Additionally, her romantic endeavors included a long-distance relationship with a man in London. She was also rumored to have dated Pat Quinn and KC Deane after featuring them on her Instagram reels.

In another interview with Out & About in August 2023, she discussed her preferences for romantic gifts, stating the best gifts she has ever received are “diamonds I got a Rolex one time but this was all breakups.”

She also mentioned that she doesn’t have a specific type when it comes to dating. She said, “It’s changed from guy to guy I’ve dated short. I’ve dated thick thin. I don’t think I have a type.”

In the end, it seems Lauren has found her soulmate again. Find out who he is.

She Is Ready To Marry Her Current Partner

In the same interview with Out & About, when the interviewer asked if she was single, Lauren responded, “I’m dating a guy that owns a barbecue restaurant,” located in Austin, Texas. His name is Mark Black, and he is a Pit Master.

She met her partner, who is six months younger, just before the Fourth of July in 2022. She recalled, “The day that we met we never ever were apart.” They now live together in his apartment, and he has already purchased another house that was under renovation at the time.

In July 2023, during Christina P.’s podcast, Lauren expressed her enthusiasm about the future and said she was ready to marry him and have kids with him.

She also revealed that Mark is well aware of the type of ring she desires for their wedding because she has the picture of a diamond ring set as her phone’s screensaver.

In the same interview, she described her boyfriend as a “workaholic” who reads books on architecture. “He like an architect and he’s super into design,” she said. One notable difference between them is that “he doesn’t watch TV,” she added.

In May 2024, Compton celebrated Mark’s 36th birthday at the Kentucky Derby, sharing the moment on her Instagram with photos and videos. Her caption read, “The Kentucky Derby 150 will always be one of the BEST experiences I’ve ever had!!! From picking the winning horse “Mystic Dan”, celebrating Mark’s 36th birthday, & passing out with my mouth wide open on the ride home, I’d like to thank the Kendall Jackson Wine Family for inviting us.”

Looking at her other Instagram posts, it seems they have already made their red carpet appearances together.

Mark’s Family Legacy Deeply Rooted in Barbecue

Lauren’s partner Mark comes from a family with a rich history in the barbecue scene. His great-grandfather, Edgar Black, was the founder of Black’s Barbecue, established in 1932.

However, in 2013, after a family disagreement, Mark’s immediate family members decided to branch out from the original Black’s in Lockhart. Consequently, Mark with his twin brother Michael, sister Christina, and with the support of their parents Terry and Patty, opened Terry Black’s Barbecue in Austin in 2014.

In 2017, the entrepreneurial spirit also took Mark and Christina to Dallas, where they launched a second location. They chose Deep Ellum, a neighborhood that resonated with Mark, reminding him of Austin.

“I saw a lot of Austin in Deep Ellum,” Mark said to The Dallas Morning News. “It was the vibe, the culture and the neighborhood.”