Updike is married to Dan Ephron,[2][3] an editor at Foreign Policy.[4] They had their first date on July 1, 2003 at Focaccia Bar,[5] an Italian restaurant in Jerusalem.[3]
Updike is a producer and co-creator of the true crime podcast Serial. Early in production, the creative team found the story falling flat and Updike is credited with asking, "Where's the hunt?," which transformed Sarah Koenig, the show's narrator, into the show's protagonist.[9]