’80 for Brady’ Star Divorcing Husband

Billy Porter and Adam Smith are splitting up. “I can confirm that Billy Porter and his husband Adam Smith have made the sad decision to end their marriage after six years,” Porter’s rep Simon Halls told PEOPLE. “The decision was an amicable and mutual one and was made after much consideration. They continue to love and support each other as they embark on this next chapter,” added Halls. “There will be no further comment from either parties and it would be appreciated if their privacy be respected.” In February, the Pose actor shared a heartfelt Instagram post on Smith’s birthday. “Happy Birthday to my beautiful husband,” Porter said alongside pictures of the couple. “I am so grateful to have you by my side on our journey together. You are my rock and my light. I am so proud of you and love watching the way your mind works and your dedication to pursuing your dreams. “You are a trusted friend and confidant to so many, a loving brother and uncle, and a fabulous dog-dad to our baby Lola. We are so lucky to have you. I love you.”

Porter and Smith’s romance began in 2009 after meeting at a dinner party. They broke up after dating for about a year but rekindled their romance five years later. Porter proposed in London on Dec. 29, 2016, and they got married on Jan. 14, 2017. Their hastily planned wedding was because they wanted to tie the knot before former president Donald Trump was inaugurated. In an interview with PEOPLE, Smith revealed, “We were discussing, and Billy had actually brought up to me that it’s important for us to get married while [Barack] Obama is still president and before January 20. So we sat down and figured out when we could make it work before the 20th.”

In the end, they were able to pull it off successfully with an intimate wedding on January 14. “I should create How to Plan a Fabulous Wedding in 10 Days because I had 10 days!” Smith later told Playbill. “It was so much fun and it was a whirlwind. But it all turned out more beautifully than I could ever imagine.” Having graduated from the California Institute of the Arts in 2003, Smith pursued a career in retail instead of theatre, swiftly rising to prominence in the luxury eyewear industry. In 2021, he launched his own swimwear company, The Smith Society. According to the New York Times, Smith was previously married to someone else before tying the knot with Porter, but the marriage ended in divorce. The details of his first marriage, including its nature and duration, have never been made public.