
- Chrissy Teigen celebrated John Legend's 42nd birthday by hosting a math contest.
- Legend defeated friend Mike Rosenthal (husband of hair stylist Jen Atkin) to win the trophy.
- Atkin shared some relevant words of wisdom: "If we teach you anything in life, marry the nerd."
2020 has forced many of us to get creative when it comes to celebrating birthdays, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend included. Legend turned 42 on Monday, and to mark the occasion, Teigen threw a "Math Off" competition, with contestants Legend and Mike Rosenthal (husband of hair stylist Jen Atkin, who co-hosted the contest with Teigen) dressed for the occasion in checked pants, suspenders, bow-ties, and, in Legend's case, glasses held together with tape.
Teigen, wearing a glittery gown perfectly suited to the illustrious event, explained the rules of the competition on social media. "For all of you at home, I just want to let you know this is sixth grade math. They have a 40 question math test in their hands. There will be bonus questions throughout the game, and again, this is a sixth grade math competition show," she said, speaking into a bedazzled microphone as the Jeopardy theme tune played in the background.
we created the ultimate surprise math competition for John’s birthday. we’ve played this on vacay before but NOT LIKE THIS ladies and gentleman pic.twitter.com/aooC0fM1WxDecember 29, 2020
As Legend and Rosenthal worked on their tests, hosts Teigen and Atkin shared some words of wisdom concerning their husbands. "If we teach you anything in life, marry the nerd," Atkin said:
I had to make a choice for the suitcase okay pic.twitter.com/OrE4s3SUPwDecember 29, 2020
The contest's eventual victor was Legend, though he had to make do with a trophy from a previous iteration of the contest which declared Rosenthal the winner ("I had to make a choice for the suitcase okay," Teigen explained on Twitter.) When Teigen asked, "John, can I have one interview? How does it feel?" the math genius responded, "I feel like I might get laid tonight." Which, as a former math nerd myself, is refreshing to hear! Wishing you all the same good fortune, math nerds across the globe!
'Subscribe here with the code HOLIDAY50 to save 50%'
RELATED STORIES
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.
-
The Anthropologie Cyber Monday Sale Feels Like Stealing
Some of these sales are so good, the mind reels.
By Alicia Lutes
-
Chrissy Teigen and Daughter Luna's Hairstyling Bonding Moment Is the Cutest Thing
The Legend girls are big fans of the Dyson Airwrap.
By Sophia Vilensky
-
Dolly Parton’s Cheerleader Glam Was the Highlight of Thanksgiving Game Day
We know exactly who won this one.
By Sophia Vilensky
-
Sarah Hyland and Adam Devine Play 'How Well Do You Know Your Co-Star?'
The 'Modern Family' stars reunited for the 'Pitch Perfect' spinoff series.
By Brooke Knappenberger
-
The 78 Best Celebrity Couple Halloween Costumes of All Time
Honestly, we're impressed.
By Charlotte Chilton
-
Super Rare Photos of Queen Elizabeth as a Young Woman
From childhood snapshots to portraits as a young princess, beautiful and rare photos of the late Queen Elizabeth as a young woman.
By Mehera Bonner
-
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla's Relationship: A Timeline
With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles has ascended to the throne as king.
By The Editors
-
Who Is Next in Line for the British Throne, Explained
And yes—Harry and Archie are still in the line of succession.
By Andrea Park
-
Who Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Fiancé Riley Roberts?
AOC's husband-to-be is an "easygoing redhead" who lives with her in D.C.
By Katherine J. Igoe
-
68 Times the Kardashians Posed Fully Nude and Owned It
And we mean fully nude—as in, not a shred of clothing.
By Bianca Rodriguez
-
Who Is Jonathan Owens, Simone Biles's Fiancé and NFL Player?
"The easiest yes!" Simone wrote about the couple's engagement.
By The Editors