The romance started with a coffee date.
When R.K. Russell and Corey O’Brien met for the first time in 2019, they didn’t know what to expect. The pair matched on a dating app and harbored no expectations.
Little did they know, it wouldn’t take long for a mutual attraction to develop. They were enthralled with each other by the end of the date.
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Now five years later, they’re living the dream in Los Angeles. Together.
“I don’t think we were both looking for a relationship at that time, but everything happened so organically,” said O’Brien in a 2020 interview. “We really started opening up to one another and everything really just took off from there. We didn’t rush into labeling what we were or trying to force anything that wasn’t there–the connection was just so strong and really took off on its own.”
Russell, for his part, says he knew they were a match instantly.
“I couldn’t get him out of my mind,” he said. “After our first coffee meet up, where we spoke for quite some time about sobriety, dating in LA, being in the closet, professional sports, dance, and family, we didn’t spend many more days apart.”
Today, Russell and O’Brien are best friends, co-collaborators and most importantly, soulmates. They recently attended the Our Love Gala in Salt Lake City, on the eve of Russell’s 32nd birthday.
Unsurprisingly, they stole the show.
“Babe, I am so proud of you for the work you have done in the LGBTQ+ space, the changes you have helped implement into the NFL and the courage you possess to continue sharing your truth,” wrote O’Brien on Instagram. “The one thing I’m going to do is brag about my man and I’m lucky he gives me so many reasons to.”
“I love you, my King,” wrote Russell in response.
It was a huge 2023 for Russell and O’Brien, both of whom soared to new professional heights. Russell, the first publicly out bisexual active NFL player in history, published his memoir, The Yards Between Us.
In it, Russell shares his unvarnished life story: the grief, devastation, and, ultimately, joy.
The Yards Between Us recounts Russell’s experiences growing up with a single mother as a queer Black man and football star. Russell opens up about painful childhood memories and his dark road towards self-harm and alcohol abuse and years-long search for happiness.
Finally, he’s found it. Corey is a big reason why.
R.K. says one of his turning points came when he introduced Corey to his mother.
“Her meeting Corey and their relationship is so important to me. I realize now that when I was keeping it a secret, I needed my mom there,” he told Queerty.
Sony Pictures is now adapting The Yards Between Us into a comedy series, produced by actress Gabrielle Union.
Not to be outdone, O’Brien premiered his latest comedy show, “Everybody Loves Corey,” in November. The TikTok and YouTube sensation uses the special to delve into the darkest areas of his life, including his battles with self-identity and alcoholism.
Growing up in a conservative Pennsylvania town, O’Brien says he turned to alcohol as a pre-teen to cope with his isolation.
“It was a challenge to find any sort of happiness or humor in my life for a while, as I spent years feeling shame and spiraling in a feeling of helplessness,” he told HuffPo. “In sobriety, I started to rebuild different areas of my life and slowly but surely reframed my way of thinking around the experiences in my life that brought such negative reactions.”
Corey and R.K. are both sober now, and hold each other accountable.
O’Brien also debuted a new comedy special at the start of the month: “New Year, Same Corey.”
Though Russell shined on the gridiron at Purdue University and played three seasons in the NFL, he was always an artist. The defensive end started writing poetry at seven years old to cope with his stepfather’s death, and never stopped.
Russell released his debut poetry book, Prison or Passion, in 2019.
O’Brien, meanwhile, rose to prominence as a dancer for pop sensations such as Mariah Carey (every gay’s dream) and P. Diddy. The model also appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
When R.K. and Corey publicly announced their relationship, they subsequently created their own YouTube channel, chronicling their life together.
Unsurprisingly, it’s a huge hit. O’Brien boasts more than 1.7 million followers on TikTok alone!
With their talent and creativity, Russell and O’Brien would be forces on their own. But they’re even more powerful together.
We can’t wait to see what our favorite power couple achieves next in 2024!
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ddmtl
oh dear…never heard of them
frapachino
Hard eye roll here!
SDR94103
gross as hell.
PollyDarton
Who? (As in “Who are these people?”)
SFMike
They are an interracial couple so they must be elevated by the PC crowd.
abfab
That’s not the way it works, but if this is that, then you’ll just have to live with it and suffer.
flymeorion
Wow. You’re really a troll.
Joshooeerr
To qualify as a “Hollywood power couple” there are some fairly basic requirements. Start with individual first name recognition. Individual box office clout. And combined they must have enough star power to attract global headlines, set trends and green light projects. So “Liz and Dick”, “Tom and Nicole”, “Brangelina”. This pair could walk down Hollywood Boulevard all day and all night and not be recognised by anyone. Neither one of them would have the power to get upgraded to a grande in Starbucks.
abfab
And be sure all of your location shots are in the place of whence the ”power” resides. Hollywood? That’s hysterical. They seem to be EVERYWHERE ELSE. Ew.
Footnote…………there is no power here. They are cheezy, boring and way over dressed up, looking very uncomfortable. And those handbags and pocketbooks. Last century, kids.
And did this bit of unmemorable buzz have to include the fake, phony, annoying and cringey Gayle King………awful.
bachy
Russell is the first publicly out bisexual active NFL player in history, who’s published several books including his memoir, The Yards Between Us, currently being adapted into a comedy series by Sony Pictures.
O’Brien is a standup comedian with two new specials, and a former backup dancer for Mariah Carey, P. Diddy and others.
How embarrassing that these accomplishments are so trivial compared to the world-renowned careers of the commenters on Queerty!
abfab
You have no idea of any of our careers. Well, save for the Trolls.
Diplomat
We all know exactly what your career is Abcrabs: it’s you naked on all fours publicly projectile vommitting diarrhea out your ugly asshole in multiple directions at every turn. Destroying the gay community and all we’ve worked for.
abfab
Your brain paints such lovely portraits—-and they all come from inside you.
flymeorion
I agree. I get sick of hearing about the same 10 gay guys in every article.
Sometimes it’s refreshing to just hear about the gay couples who are just trying to make it in the world.
Diplomat
I find these two very attractive with a great connection that they celebrate publicly. They get great street cred for that.
abfab
Street cred. The troll knows all about that.
What is a synonym for street cred?
synonyms: cred, street credibility. type of: believability, credibility, credibleness. the quality of being believable or trustworthy.
Def not you, Diplomat…. Tho she thinks she can spot it when she sees is.