On November 13, 2024, US President-elect Donald Trump announced Tulsi Gabbard as the US Director of National Intelligence, which makes Tulsi the first-ever Hindu-American to hold the coveted post. Tulsi Gabbard started her political journey at the age of 21 by becoming the youngest member and first-ever Hindu back then to be elected to Hawaii’s State Legislature. However, it was cut short then by her National Guard deployment to Iraq.
While Tulsi has held several important positions including lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve and has combat experience in Iraq, her husband Abraham Williams has a vastly different career. Abraham Williams is a filmmaker and he is highly supportive of her career. Let’s have a look at their heart-warming love story:
How Tulsi Gabbard met her husband Abraham Williams
Photo: Tulsi Gabbard/ Facebook
It was in 2012 when Tulsi Gabbard and Abraham Williams’ paths first crossed. While Tulsi Gabbard was campaigning for a seat in the House of Representatives, Williams was a volunteer at the campaign. He worked as a freelance photographer and even took many well-known pictures of Tulsi during the campaign, as per Newsweek. Interestingly, Abraham’s mother Anya Anthony also used to manage Tulsi’s district office in Honolulu, according to The New York Times.
However, it was only a year and a half later when the two met again and it was then when cupid struck them. Recalling the incident, Gabbard once told The New York Times that their mutual friend has thrown a birthday party for her, and Williams was invited too. That’s where Williams also asked her out! “It was the first time that we had a chance to kick back, relax and really talk on a personal level,” Gabbard told NYT.
Tulsi and Williams soon realised that they both had a lot in common, including their love for water sports and the oceans. In fact, Williams even proposed to Tulsi while surfing! “He paddled over, pulled out a double-tethered contraption attached to a gold duct-tape-covered flotation device with a beautiful ring attached, and said, ‘I have a question for you: Will you marry me?’” Tulsi Gabbard told NYT in the interview.
Photo: Tulsi Gabbard/ Facebook
In 2015, Tulsi Gabbard and Abraham Williams got married in a traditional Vedic ceremony in Hawaii. Interestingly, Tulsi started practising Hinduism in her teenage years following her mother’s footsteps (who was a Hindu convert). Meanwhile, her filmmaker husband is also Hindu.
READ MORE: How Tulsi Gabbard was introduced to Hinduism
Abraham Williams
Over the years Abraham Williams has worked on documentaries, features, and music videos, as per his official website. Talking about his interests, Abraham shares on his website that he aims to highlight the human element in stories, be it the “cities across America to war zones in the Middle East”.
Tulsi Gabbard and Abraham Williams: Together through thick and thin
Tulsi Gabbard and Abraham Williams have been married for roughly 10 years, and the couple seem to be each other’s rock. In an earlier interview with Meghan McCain on the podcast ‘Citizen McCain’, Tulsi Gabbard opened up about their fertility struggles. Tulsi had revealed that they had a few rounds of failed IVFs and how tough the journey was for them as a couple. “As hard as this was for me, it was extremely hard for Abraham to just watch this heartbreak over and over again,” she had shared. However, they decided to halt it in 2020 when she was running for president.
In 2020, wishing her husband Abraham Williams on their wedding anniversary, Tulsi Gabbard expressed her gratitude in a heart-warming social media post. She had written, “To my husband Abraham Williams — 5 years ago today I walked down the aisle and into your arms. I have never looked back. I love you with all of my heart ❤️ I am endlessly grateful for you — your love, your friendship, your incredible support. Our surf time, from sunny Hawaii to snowy New Hampshire. Our cooking (and eating) adventures. Your serenading and endless sound effects. The way you make me laugh. And so much more. I look forward to whatever lies ahead for us — together. #happyanniversary”
Here’s wishing them years of happiness and togetherness!
