When ABC News Correspondent Gio Benitez and On-Air Lifestyle Expert and Host Tommy DiDario walked down the aisle, they walked into America’s hearts. The pair received the kind of coverage usually reserved for the weddings of British Royals and international pop sensations.
The Very Public Marriage of Gio Benitez and Tommy DiDario
This year, the couple celebrated their third wedding anniversary. “It’s funny, we never expected our relationship to garner so much attention because in our eyes, we are just living our truths like any couple. But once we realized that it meant a lot to the LGBTQ+ community, it was something we gladly welcomed because of the impact it can make. We have received thousands of messages and emails since our engagement in 2015 – from closeted teens who are no longer scared to come out, to moms and dads now learning to accept their children, to everything in between,” says DiDario.
“There is nothing more powerful to me than hearing from a mother or father who says the photos and stories Tommy and I share have shifted their views so dramatically that they’ve had to apologize to their children for how they treated them,” adds Benitez.
Love Is Love
“I hope that through showing glimpses of my relationship with my husband, we continue spreading the narrative that love is love. And everyone deserves to love and be loved. Gio is my family. Growing up, I never thought it was possible to have a significant other because there weren’t many public examples of relationships like that. I hope that by being ourselves and sharing our love story that the world can move towards a more accepting place,” DiDario explains.
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The People Gio and Tommy Love
“We are only able to be open about our lives because of the countless heroes who came before us,” Benitez elaborates. He adds: “Our dear friend Robin Roberts has been such a towering example for me. She is a top-rate journalist and a first-class human being who treats every person she meets with kindness, dignity, and respect. All of this while reporting the truth with utmost care and sensitivity. She and Amber live their lives openly and authentically, sharing their stories on television and social media.”
DiDario points out, “Sam Champion is like a brother and we have developed such a close friendship with him and his husband, Rubem. I think a big reason why we are so close is because we have the same values, and we all are saps for love. Their marriage is absolutely beautiful and it’s nice to be around another couple that can be unapologetically in love. Sam’s bravery to be his authentic self in the news business is also inspiring, and a good reminder for me to never compromise who I am while working in the entertainment industry.”
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Before Gio Met Tommy
“Before meeting Gio, I never wanted to get married. I thought that it was just a piece of paper,” DiDario remembers. “But the moment I met Gio, I knew that he was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, and I wanted to express that by walking down the aisle with him. Does a lot change after you get married? No! We still have a relationship built on trust, respect, care, and never-ending love. But to me, there is something about wearing that ring around your finger that makes it feel just a little more romantic. And maybe I’m a hopeless romantic, but I’m certainly not old-fashioned because this is the ‘new-fashioned,’ having the right to marry who I love thanks to the community who fought so hard for this. And that, I will never take for granted.”
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You can keep up with Gio Benitez and Tommy DiDario on Instagram.
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