Not much is known of Elijah's earlier life, but he mentions he is of German descent. He was Hannah's boyfriend during their last two years at Oberlin College. He once hooked up with her best friend Marnie, and the two have had an uneasy relationship since. Though he did introduce Marnie to her future boyfriend Charlie. He also had a sexual relationship with a girl named Rachael Dubstick. Elijah presumably knew Jessa while at school as they're both seen in the flashback from Hard Being Easy. After he and Hannah broke up for unspecified reasons, Elijah realized he was gay and came out of the closet. It's mentioned that he once aspired to be a professional dancer.