Who Is Margaret Brennan's Husband? All About Yado Yakub

Mar. 15, 2025

Margaret Brennan and Yado Yakub attend the 2018 White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, DC.Photo:Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Margaret Brennanknew her husband for 15 years before the two got married in 2015.

“It was a matter of timing,” Brennan told theWashington Postafter their April 2015 wedding. “Both of us agree that we never would have dated each other back in college.”

The couple expanded their family in September 2018 with thebirth of their first son, Eamon, and again in April 2021 with thebirth of their second son, Malek.

So who is Margaret Brennan’s husband? Here’s everything to know about Yado Yakub and his relationship with the CBS News host.

He served in the army and is a lawyer

Margaret Brennan and her husband Ali Iyad “Yado” Yakub arrive at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington, DC on April 27, 2019.ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/Getty Images

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/Getty Images

Yakub served as a Marine until 2016, before pivoting to working in global intelligence. In 2019, he returned to the Marines, where he continues to work as a legal advisor in addition to working as a global advisor for Y2 Global Advisory.

They first met in college when Brennan was a freshman, and Yakub was a senior

Margaret Brennan and Yado Yakub at the 45th Kennedy Center Honors on December 4, 2022, in Washington, D.C.Paul Morigi/Getty Images

Paul Morigi/Getty Images

Brennan and Yakub first met in 1998 at the University of Virginia when they were both students. Brennan was a freshman, while Yakub was a senior, so their paths didn’t cross much — and neither had a particularly positive opinion of the other.

“I thought she was too conservative, too preppy, too ‘New England,’ ” Yado told theWashington Post. “She thought I was a bit wild and partied a bit much.”

Brennan and Yakub kept reconnecting years after they first met

Margaret Brennan and Lt. Col. Yado Yakub attend the formal Artist’s Dinner honoring the recipients of the 45th Annual Kennedy Center Honors at the Department of State in Washington, DC on December 3, 2022.MediaPunch Inc/Alamy

MediaPunch Inc/Alamy

After Yakub had already graduated, Brennan studied abroad in the summer between her junior and senior year at Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan, and Yakub’s sister, Samia Yakub, was her roommate. The two became close, Brennan told theWashington Post, and often traveled together and even visited Yakub’s grandmother in Damascus, Syria.

However, Yakub didn’t come up as often as one might think.

“The program was very intense, so there was no time to think about anything else,” Brennan toldThe New York Timesin April 2015. “Yado’s name came up occasionally, but I wasn’t thinking about him in any special way at that time.”

Three years later, Yakub entered Brennan’s life again when her boyfriend at the time — a mutual friend — reached out to Yakub as the couple were visiting Miami, where Yakub was in law school, but “it was a real casual thing,” Brennan toldThe New York Times.

“Yado’s name came up again,” Brennan told the outlet. “I got a kick out of hearing that he was in the military and a lawyer as well. He was someone I had remembered in T-shirts and flip-flops at Virginia.”

They started dating in 2013 after running into each other

At her dinner with Samia, Brennan found out that Yakub had also recently moved to D.C., but it wasn’t until a chance run-in in February 2013 that the two crossed paths again. She was walking her dog when she bumped into Yakub, who was waiting for a bus. He invited her to a party, and a month later, the two began talking.

“It’s a pretty crazy series of events that got us together,” Yakub toldThe New York Times. “I always thought she was too uptight, but I had never really taken the time to get to know her. Once we began talking, I realized that she was a very warm, very down-to-earth person."

They got married two years after they started dating

Margaret Brennan and Yado Yakub with their first son, Eamon, after he was born.Courtesy Margaret Brennan

After dating for five months, the two took a trip to Thailand together. As soon as he got home, Yakub knew he was ready to propose, he told theWashington Post. On March 14, 2014, Yakub proposed during a day trip to Charlottesville, Va., where they attended college, and a year later, the two got married on April 11, 2015.

Brennan and Yakub share two children together

Margaret Brennan and Yado Yakub with their sons Eamon and Malek in May 2021.Margaret Brennan

Brennan and Yakub first grew their family in 2018 with the birth of their son, Eamon Brennan Yakub, on Sept. 11. in Washington D.C., they confirmed to PEOPLE.

“Yado and I are overwhelmed and totally in love with our little man Eamon,” Brennan said.

The family grew once again with the birth of their second son, Malek Murphy Yakub, on April 28, 2021, at the same hospital where Eamon was born.

Like his brother, Malek’s name was also a combination of Irish and Syrian culture, Brennan told PEOPLE. Malek means “king” in Arabic and Murphy is a family name on Brennan’s side.

“Yado, Eamon, and I are excited to bring Malek into the world as we emerge from the pandemic and look forward to getting close with friends and loved ones again,” Brennan said.

source: people.com