Marcus Richardson is a cybersecurity professional and the husband of CNN senior political correspondent and Inside Politics Sunday anchor Abby Phillip. The couple has been together for about a decade and tied the knot in 2018. Richardson and Phillip are based in Washington, D.C.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Marcus Richardson & Abby Phillip’s First Meeting at a Mutual Friend’s Party Was Nearly Ruined by a Stranger
Richardson and Phillip have been in a relationship for about a decade but their initial meeting was nearly derailed by miscommunication. Phillip and Richardson first met in June 2011 when mutual friends hosted a rooftop party in Washington, D.C. As detailed in Martha Stewart Weddings, neither Richardson nor Phillip knew many other people at the party and they struck up a conversation.
But their conversation was inadvertently halted by another party guest, which caused some confusion. Richardson told the magazine, “We were creating an awesome connection when suddenly another woman interrupted. I was like, ‘Whoa, her friend is trying to save her from me,’ and we went our separate ways.” But that was not the case; Phillip didn’t even know the other woman. Richardson never ended up asking Phillip for her phone number.
But he had another chance about a month later when they were both invited to another party. They started talking again, this time without any interruptions. They started dating days after the second party. During the Christmas holidays in 2016, Richardson proposed to Phillip while their families were visiting them in Washington, D.C., Martha Stewart Weddings reported.
Richardson shared a sweet tribute to Phillip commemorating the sixth anniversary of their first meeting on Instagram on June 10, 2017. He wrote, “6 years ago on this day, I met this woman and my world changed. ❤️”
2. Richardson & Phillip Celebrated Their Wedding With About 90 Guests Before Honeymooning in Vietnam
Richardson and Phillip tied the knot on May 26, 2018. The celebration was held at the Anderson House, a historical mansion and museum in Washington, D.C. According to the wedding announcement in the New York Times, the ceremony was officiated by the assistant dean of Harvard’s College for Public Service, Gene Corbin, who was also a Baptist minister. Corbin was a mentor to Phillip when she was a student at Harvard.
Phillip was escorted by both of her parents, as Phillip shared in photos on Instagram. Rather than a traditional aisle, they walked her down a grand staircase. Richardson told Martha Stewart Weddings it was a “magical moment. So often you see brides walk down the aisle, so seeing her come down these large, ornate stairs in her gorgeous dress made the moment very real and very special.” During the reception, the couple’s first dance was to a slowed-down version of the song “God Only Knows” by Cynthia Erivo and John Legend.
As Martha Stewart Weddings showcased in a photo slideshow on its website, the venue was elegant and every detail, down to the table settings, was stunning. But the bride and groom went for a more casual feel when it came to the tote bags for the 90 guests. Each guest received a bag with “gummy bears, chocolates, and jalapeño-flavored potato chips, all treats the couple felt represented them.”
Richardson and Phillip picked Vietnam as the location for their honeymoon. The couple shared several photos from their trip on Instagram, including from the town of Sa Pa in northwestern Vietnam and Bai Tu Long Bay.
3. Richardson & His Sister Were Raised Overseas Due to Their Father’s Job in the Air Force
Richardson was born in March 1983. He and younger sister Jasmine spent much of their childhood overseas. As noted in he and Phillip’s wedding announcement in the New York Times, Richardson’s father, Russell G. Richardson, was a colonel in the Air Force. His career included time spent as the “director of logistics for the Third Air Forces in Europe at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.”
As Richardson displayed in several Instagram photos, the family lived in the Netherlands when he was a small child. For example, in April 2020, Richardson shared a throwback photo that he said was from either 1985 or 1986. He was wearing what looks like a beret and commented, “Early days living in the Netherlands. Back when I thought I was European.”
Richardson’s father was stationed at the Kadena Air Base on Okinawa in Japan during the 1990s. Richardson shared this photo from 1993 of him sitting in a F-15 plane on the base. He included the hashtag “army brat” in the caption.
Richardson played basketball when they were living in Japan. He shared this photo of him posing with a basketball while maintaining a serious look on his face. He captioned the photo, “Back in ’93 when I was trying to be David Robinson.”
In June 2020, Richardson penned a tribute to his father to thank him for all of the life lessons. He wrote, “Growing up, I wanted to be as strong, tall, funny, smart, driven, and cool as my dad. Or at least ball like my dad. 😁 Over the years, but especially during these past few weeks, I’ve thought about everything my father has instilled in me. Not only as a man, but a Black man in this country. Our family’s legacy, like so many, is paved by men and women who stared at the ugliness of America but persevered to ensure that we all had a place at the table, and that fight continues. My father guided me and prepared me for what I would eventually face, and I’m eternally grateful for that wisdom and love. Love you Dad. Happy Father’s Day.”
In 2018, Richardson posted a tribute to his mother, Toussaint Richardson, with a series of photos from his childhood and wedding day. He wrote to her, “Happy Birthday to my mama. She is incredible, beautiful, smart, and so cool. She has a very infectious personality that I’ve witnessed touch too many folks to count, and it makes me very proud that she’s my mother. I love our weekly politics, culture, catch-up calls; I love to think we keep eachother on our toes. She has always encouraged my creativity, to be intellectually curious, to not to be afraid to be a little weird, and has guided me to follow the best possible path to a life full of fun, love, and faith.”
4. Richardson Has a Degree in International Affairs & Works in Cybersecurity
LinkedInMarcus Richardson is the husband of CNN anchor Abby Phillip.
Richardson moved back to the United States for college. According to his LinkedIn profile, he graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in international affairs in 2009.
His first job took him to Washington, D.C. Richardson first worked as a desktop analyst at Howard University. At the time of his wedding, Richardson was working as a managing consultant at the cybersecurity firm nVisium.
It’s unclear where Richardson was working as of this writing. His LinkedIn profile indicates his role with nVisium ended in September 2019. But a New York Times article on his wife in November 2020 still labeled him as a “cybersecurity consultant.”
5. Phillip & Richardson Do Not Have Children But They Have an Adorable Dog Named Booker T
Phillip and Richardson live and Washington, D.C. and do not yet have children. But they share a beautiful dog named Booker T that they love to share pictures of on social media.
Booker T was born in August 2018. Richardson posted side-by-side photos in 2019 to show how much the dog had grown in just one year. He wrote in the caption, “Can’t believe my boy, Booker T, is a year old now. I was a bit apprehensive about getting a puppy, but now can’t imagine a day without Book.”
Richardson also shared on Instagram how Booker T enjoyed having him working from home. Richardson posted a picture of the dog lounging on a couch in April 2020 and wrote, “My occasional office mate. We’re used to this work-from-home mode.”
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