Colman Domingo, the Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated actor, has been stealing hearts on screen for years, but his real-life love story with husband Raúl Domingo is the kind of magical tale that even Hollywood couldn’t script. The couple, who have been together for two decades, recently resurfaced in the spotlight after a clip of Domingo recounting their adorable meet-cute went viral.
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Love at First Sight (and a Few Glances Back)
The story, which Domingo shared on The Graham Norton Show in 2024, begins in 2005 at a Walgreens in Berkeley, California. Domingo, then sporting a faux hawk (because, hey, it was 2005), was on a mission to buy a face mask when he spotted a strikingly handsome man with shoulder-length hair and a lip piercing. The two locked eyes, but the mystery man was deep in conversation with someone else. As they both left the store, Domingo couldn’t resist turning back for a second (and third) glance.
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Fast forward a few days, and Domingo was browsing Craigslist’s “Missed Connections” section while trying to buy a used computer.
“I go to page two of them as I’m reading, and I see ‘Saw you outside of Walgreens, Berkeley,’” Domingo recalled. “He placed an ad for me two hours before.”
The ad described Domingo perfectly, down to his iconic faux hawk.
“I was like, ‘Get out of here,’” Domingo joked.
The two met up three days later for their first date, and the rest is history.
“I was trying to be a good boy and go home,” Domingo said. “He said, ‘Can you stay over?’ I said, ‘Sure, but let’s just cuddle.’ We cuddled. I thought he was asleep. Four o’clock in the morning, I couldn’t sleep, and I said, ‘I think I love you and you’re about to change my life.’ And we’ve been together almost 19 years.”
The couple tied the knot in 2014 in an intimate “house-party” style wedding, greeting their 25 guests personally, according to People. Raúl, who rarely makes public appearances, joined Domingo on the red carpet at the 2025 Oscars, where Domingo was nominated for his lead role in Sing Sing. The actor has never been shy about expressing his love for his husband, even thanking Raúl during his 2022 Emmy acceptance speech for Euphoria.
“Thank you to my darling Raúl,” he said. “This is for you.”
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The couple’s enduring love story is a refreshing reminder that sometimes, the most magical connections happen in the most ordinary places—like a Walgreens aisle. As Domingo put it, Raúl truly did change his life, and their romance continues to inspire fans everywhere.