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Colman Domingo Explains How He Met His Husband on Craigslist

Colman Domingo and his husband Raul

Oh, the good old days.

MikelleStreet

Colman Domingo is a married man. Yes. Taken, and has been for a while now. The Euphoria star, who also recently appeared in Netflix's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, opened up about the genesis of his marriage in a recent interview for GQ. Where it all started? Craigslist ... well sort of.

As one in a series of "Modern Lovers" stories from GQ's latest issue, Domingo recounts the story of how back in 2005 he went to a Berkeley, California Walgreens to pick up a Queen Helene mud mask. It was there that he saw Raul Aktanov who was on the phone. The pair locked eyes but Raul was being pulled out of the store by a friend; this was a missed connection if there ever was one. And that's what Craigslist is for.

Long before apps became the popular mode of digital connection there were forums and sites like Craigslist. Craiglist still exists -- of course -- but is a shadow of what it once was. The day after that chance meeting in 2005, Aktanov wrote a post that began "I saw you outside of Walgreens in Berkley..." Domingo found it days later while searching for "a used iPod Touch." He wrote back a response via email: "To the sweet angel with the most arresting eyes." On their first date, when Domingo thought Aktanov was asleep he whispered "I think I love you." Yes, we keep tissues within arm's reach.

The pair married nine years later, in 2014, at a wedding disguised as a house party with 25 people as guests.

"It is magical," Domingotold GQ of how things grew. He says that the pair likely would never have met if they were swiping on apps. "The imperfections or the off-roading and things like that. It's supposed to be like this. You never know what you're supposed to get."

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Mikelle Street

Mikelle is the former editorial director of digital for PrideMedia, guiding digital editorial and social across Out, The Advocate, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus. After starting as a freelancer for Out in 2013, he joined the staff as Senior Editor working across print and digital in 2018. In early 2021 he became Out's digital director, marking a pivot to content that centered queer and trans stories and figures, exclusively. In September 2021, he was promoted to editorial director of PrideMedia. He has written cover stories on Ricky Martin, Miss Fame, Nyle DiMarco, Jeremy O. Harris, Law Roach, and Symone.

Mikelle is the former editorial director of digital for PrideMedia, guiding digital editorial and social across Out, The Advocate, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus. After starting as a freelancer for Out in 2013, he joined the staff as Senior Editor working across print and digital in 2018. In early 2021 he became Out's digital director, marking a pivot to content that centered queer and trans stories and figures, exclusively. In September 2021, he was promoted to editorial director of PrideMedia. He has written cover stories on Ricky Martin, Miss Fame, Nyle DiMarco, Jeremy O. Harris, Law Roach, and Symone.