View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by J. August Richards (@jaugustrichards)


Three years after coming out at age 46, actor J. August Richards has just announced he’s engaged!

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.

Related: Actor J. August Richards comes out as gay

Yesterday, on Valentine’s Day, he announced he is to marry singer and fashion entrepreneur Joshua Gbor.

“Happy Valentine’s Day to my fiancé and forever love, @joshgbor…” he shared, alongside several photos, including an engagement ring pic.

Josh Gbor, along with his twin brother Jason, is one half of the band Gbor. They also preside over Gbor Nation, a men’s fashion and jewelry brand.

Josh Gbor and J August Richards
Josh Gbor and J August Richards (Photo: @jaugustrichards/Instagram)

How they met

The couple also did a live Instagram interview with Gaye Magazine last night 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 Covid 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 feeling 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.”

Richards was shocked.

“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.

Related: Actor J. August Richards on his spontaneous coming out and his new role as a gay dad

Don't forget to share:

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated