"I'm 82 and he's in his 60s and so we've been together for 38 years, and I'm not ashamed of people knowing, it's just that it was such a personal thing I didn't tell anybody," The Andy Griffith Show alum and longtime Hawaii resident told the station. "I'm very happy that I've had a partner of 38 years and I feel very blessed. And what can I tell you, I'm just very happy."

Nabors said that with gay couples now gaining equal rights under the law, it was important for them to tie the knot to ensure both he and his partner are protected legally should one of them, say, become sick or god forbid pass away.

"It's pretty obvious that we had no rights as a couple, yet when you've been together 38 years, I think something's got to happen there, you've got to solidify something. And at my age, it's probably the best thing to do," noted Nabors, who underwent open-heart surgery last May.