Here comes the bride! Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 32, is engaged to longtime partner, Riley Roberts, 33. The politician shared the news while speaking to Insider and later confirmed things on Twitter. She reposted a tweet from reported Eliza Relman and said, “It’s true! Thank you all for the well wishes.”
It’s true! Thank you all for the well wishes ☺️ https://t.co/i5cm9awN3S
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 19, 2022
The figure revealed that Riley popped the question last month while they were in Puerto Rico and said that she waited to announce because they were “taking some space to savor” their engagement before wedding planning begins. “We got engaged last month in my family’s hometown in Puerto Rico,” she tweeted. “No future details yet, we’re taking some space to savor this time before diving into planning.”
AOC and Riley met while they were both attending Boston University in 2011. Riley, who works in marketing, and the New York Congresswoman, have managed to keep their relationship out of the spotlight. He did, however, attend the 2021 Met Costume Gala with her. Riley also made an appearance in her 2018 documentary Knock Down the House.
Though the couple has kept out of the spotlight, there has been much written about the pairing. Comedian/writer Josh Gondelman explored the couple’s relationship in an essay in the book Take Up Space: The Unprecedented AOC. In it, he said Riley “doesn’t fit the stereotype of a politician’s partner.” He explained, “He doesn’t seem focus-grouped or media-trained for state dinners and press conferences. We know he’s supportive and encouraging in private. And his expertise, as far as his public image goes, is his elusiveness and restraint.”
Earlier on Thursday, AOC admitted she had been “MIA” for a week or two because of a non-COVID-19 “health issue.” She told Instagram followers, “I’m back at it today, but was MIA for a bit to recover.Just wanted to provide you all some assurance that the silence wasn’t political or anything as I know that worried some.”