Who Was Allison Payne’s Husband? Exploring Her Marriages and Personal Life

When people remember the late journalist and anchor, one question that often comes up is about Allison Payne’s husband. Payne was admired for her award-winning career at WGN-TV, where she became one of Chicago’s most recognizable television journalists. But while her professional life was very public, she kept her private relationships relatively quiet. This has led to curiosity about who her husbands were, what role they played in her life, and how her personal story fits into her legacy.

Allison Payne — A Brief Overview

Before diving into her personal life, it’s worth noting who Allison Payne was in the world of journalism. Born on February 12, 1964, in Richmond, Virginia, and later raised in Detroit, Michigan, Payne built an impressive career in broadcasting. She joined WGN-TV in Chicago in 1990 and went on to anchor the 9 p.m. newscast for two decades. Over her career, she earned nine Emmy Awards, becoming well-known for her professionalism, warmth, and commitment to telling impactful stories.

Despite her professional visibility, Payne was notably private about her personal life. Unlike many public figures, she didn’t frequently share details about her relationships, family, or home life with the media. This deliberate separation between her work and private world is one reason why information about her husband and marriages remains somewhat fragmented and, at times, contradictory.

First Marriage — Don Riggs

One of the men connected to Allison Payne was Don Riggs, who is widely reported to have been her first husband. Public records and some biographical sites note that the two were married for a period, though details about when the marriage began and ended remain scarce. What is known is that the marriage eventually ended in divorce.

Unlike Payne, Riggs did not maintain a public persona, and little has been shared about his life or career. Because Payne rarely discussed her personal matters in interviews, most of what is known about their marriage comes from secondary sources. Still, this marriage represents the first confirmed chapter of Payne’s romantic life.

Marriage to Bobby Richardson

Later, Allison Payne married Bobby Richardson, with some reports stating their marriage began in 2004. Unlike her first marriage, there are slightly more references to Richardson in public records and in obituaries following Payne’s death. Sources vary on whether they remained married until her passing in September 2021, but many mention him as her surviving spouse.

Not much else has been made public about Richardson himself. As with her first marriage, Payne kept her second marriage largely away from public scrutiny. There are no reports of children from either of her marriages, and most coverage focuses instead on her career achievements and health struggles.

What is notable about her relationship with Richardson is the way it highlights Payne’s commitment to privacy. Even as a high-profile anchor, she never blurred the lines between her professional role and her personal life. While fans of her work admired her journalistic talent, Richardson and her family remained largely out of the spotlight, supporting her from behind the scenes.

Conflicting Reports and Public Silence

One of the challenges in understanding Allison Payne’s marital history is that different sources sometimes contradict each other. Some obituaries reference both Don Riggs and Bobby Richardson, while others mention only one. Certain outlets suggest Richardson was still her husband at the time of her death, while others focus solely on her past marriage to Riggs.

This inconsistency reflects Payne’s intentional silence about her personal affairs. While many public figures offer glimpses of their family life, Payne believed in drawing clear boundaries. For fans and colleagues, that meant the focus always stayed on her journalistic contributions rather than her private relationships. The cost of that boundary, however, is lingering uncertainty about details such as her marital status at the time of her death.

Legacy — How Her Personal Life Was Remembered

When Allison Payne passed away on September 1, 2021, at the age of 57, tributes poured in from colleagues, friends, and admirers. WGN-TV anchors and staff remembered her as a trailblazer and a mentor who helped shape the careers of younger journalists. Obituaries noted her marriages, but often with little elaboration—emphasizing instead her professional legacy.

What stood out most in her remembrance was not who Allison Payne’s husband was, but the incredible mark she left on journalism. She was celebrated for her talent, her compassion, and her willingness to report on tough stories with integrity. Her ability to balance that professional excellence with an intensely private personal life was, in many ways, part of her strength.

For those closest to her, including her family and her husbands, her passing was not just a loss of a public figure but of a deeply private individual who valued her personal relationships beyond the public eye.

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