Michael Jai White’s former wife, Dr. Courtenay Chatman, didn’t wait for him to pop the question.

According to an archived Essence interview, Chatman was the one who proposed to White after the two had been dating for about a year. The couple, who married in 2005 and later divorced, reportedly had a rather unconventional engagement story.

Chatman planned the proposal during dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, one of the couple’s favorite restaurants. She had a plate specially made with the words “Will You Marry Me?” and Michael’s name.

When the moment came, Chatman got down on one knee and presented White with a ring.

The ‘Why Did I Get Married‘ star told Essence that he was surprised by the proposal but accepted immediately.

“I immediately said ‘yes,’” White said in the interview, explaining that he already knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Chatman, whether they officially married or not.

The couple didn’t take long to make things official. Essence reported that they eloped just two days after the proposal at the Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California.

In another Essence feature about the couple’s family, White was again quoted discussing the proposal, saying that Chatman had surprised him and that he hadn’t seen it coming. The feature also identifies Chatman as the person who proposed.

More Details Behind Michael Jai White’s Love Life

White and Chatman married in 2005, welcomed their daughter, Morgan, in 2008, before eventually divorcing in 2011.

The actor has since remarried actress Gillian Iliana Waters after knowing each other years earlier and eventually reconnecting. The couple married in Thailand in 2015.

While White’s relationship with Chatman ultimately ended, their proposal story remains an interesting part of the actor’s relationship history. It’s a reminder that sometimes the woman really does make the first move.