Fans are falling in love all over again with Colman Domingo’s romance story with husband Raúl following their appearance at the 97th Academy Awards last night.
Though he didn’t take home the Best Actor trophy for his performance in Sing Sing, the 55-year-old actor captivated viewers with his striking custom red Valentino suit, Speedmaster Moonwatch, and his dancing moves during a commercial break.
But what really had social media buzzing were the tender moments shared between Colman and Raúl on the red carpet, prompting many to look back at the origins of their relationship.
During a 2024 episode of the Graham Norton Show, Colman revealed their love story began back in 2005 through a chance Craigslist “missed connections” post.
He remembered seeing Raúl outside a Walgreens in Berkeley but didn’t say hello—only to later discover an ad Raúl posted about the missed opportunity.
“I jumped up. I was like, Are you kidding me? That’s me. He described me with my faux hawk. It was 2005 and I was like, ‘Get out of here,'” Colman shared on the British talk show.
“So we met up three days later. We had our first date. I was trying to be a good boy and go home,” he went on. “[Raúl] said, ‘Can you stay over?’ I said, ‘Sure, but let’s just cuddle.’ We cuddled. I thought he was asleep at 4 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 for almost 19 years.”
As images of their Oscars night appearance flooded social media, fans couldn’t get enough of the couple’s perfect style and the beautiful story behind their relationship.
During his conversation with Vogue about choosing to wear red on the Oscars red carpet, Colman explained, “It felt like everything’s coming up roses. It felt like love. The thing that I feel like I’m speaking about more than anything—more than process, more than moments of achievements—I’m talking about [how] to be resilient and to bring love energy into a room. What better color than that classic Valentino red?”
Check out our full Oscars coverage, including all the celebrity arrivals, the stunning fashion statements on the carpet, and the complete list of winners here.
