J August Richards has marked his first wedding anniversary with a super sweet Instagram post.
Richards starred in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff, Angel, and played the role of Mike Peterson in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. He was more recently seen in recurring roles in Council of Dads, Generation and Vampire Academy.
He came out in 2020 at age 46. On Valentine’s Day 2023, he announced he was engaged to singer and fashion entrepreneur Joshua Gbor.
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The two men married last August, around the same time Richards turned 50. He marked their first wedding anniversary with a series of text slides and photos. He said: “I am so happy … today is our first anniversary!!!”
“I had given up on the idea of getting married. But I knew deep down inside my soulmate was out there somewhere.”
“This 1st year has been a dream,” Richards continued. “I look forward to spending forever with you my love…”
He includes video clips of him and his husband in their bathroom, or stealing a quick kiss on their porch via their Ring camera.
How they met
The couple did a live Instagram interview with Gaye Magazine last year and revealed they met at Gbor’s birthday party two years ago.
Richards said he’d been to a friend’s book signing the night before. He’d bought ten copies of his pal’s book and said he’d give them out as gifts at any birthday parties he went to over the coming months. Gbor’s birthday party was the first he attended, via an invite from a mutual friend.
It was the first party Richards went to after the pandemic and he was still nervous about being around groups of people. “I was like … I promise myself that I am not going to meet anyone tonight, anybody romantically. I’m just going to go and have a good time,” he said.
He added that he’d been single during the pandemic and felt like he wanted to be in a relationship. However, “This was my first time out, so I’m going to just chill.”
“I walk through the elevator doors with my wrapped gift, the doors open, and he’s standing right there,” Richards continued. “I didn’t know whose party it was, so I said, ‘Hey, I’m looking for Josh.’ And he says, ‘I’m Josh.’ So I said, ‘Hey, happy birthday,’ and handed him the book.”
“And he was like, ‘You bought me a present?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, well, I wasn’t invited, I didn’t want to show up empty-handed.’ And just then, his twin brother comes up.”
Josh and his twin, Jason, run the Gbor Nation jewelry brand.
Richards was shocked as he didn’t know the birthday boy had a twin who was also celebrating.
“And I’m like, ‘I guess it’s your birthday, too?’ And he was like ‘yeah’. I’m like, ‘I’m sorry, I only bought one gift.’”
Richards and Gbor swapped numbers at the end of the night, “and the rest is history.”
“It felt like it was destiny,” added Gbor.
Happy anniversary, guys!
Related*
Actor J. August Richards comes out as gay
In an Instagram video, the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Angel actor revealed why he had chosen now to come out.
Kangol2
I love seeing this handsome couple and wish them all a long happy relationship.