Everyone knows Kelly Ripa as the bubbly blonde host of Live with Kelly & Ryan and Mark Consuelos as Hiram Lodge on the CW’s hit show Riverdale.
Though people know them separately, many don’t know that the two are actually married, and have been for the past 22 years!
Over the course of their marriage, Ripa and Consuelos have been in the public eye pretty much all the time. Because of this, they have divulged a couple of secrets in regards to the inner workings of their marriage, how their relationship came to be, and how they keep it going after two decades of being together. Ripa is a talk show host and is essentially paid to be open and candid with her audience. Perhaps Ripa takes her work home with her, as she has certainly spilled some cans of beans since the couple got married, and so has Consuelos. From their first interview they did as a married couple with Soap Opera Digest in 1996, to their most recent interviews in 2018, it seems like Ripa and Consuelos reveal more and more about their relationship each time they speak out in public. Here are 15 truths about Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos.
15 They Met On The Set Of ‘All My Children’
Many celebrities date their co-stars. It’s only natural that after spending long hours together every week, they develop a close bond that may eventually lead to them developing romantic feelings for one another. Whether they date during the project’s filming or after the project has wrapped, very few relationships actually find longevity. However, there are a few celebrity couples that have actually stood the test of time. Though they are a minority, it is one that Ripa and Consuelos are a part of.
Consuelos auditioned for All My Children in 1995, having just moved to New York after graduating from college, and looking to find work in the acting industry. He auditioned for the role of Mateo Santos, the eventual love interest of Ripa’s character Hayley. Ripa and Consuelos performed a chemistry test. Sparks must have flown because Consuelos landed the role. Upon first meeting, Ripa, in 2006 Consuelos said to E!:
“My first impression of my wife was—she was obviously extremely beautiful—but she was really funny, really intelligent, really quick.”
Even though Consuelos was attracted to Ripa, he did not initially display his interest in her. He told the Huffington Post in 2014 that, despite the fact that he found her beautiful, he remained focused on booking the role:"But I was very focused [on the audition] — I didn't really think I had a chance with her, so I wasn't really focused on that."
14 They Kept Their Relationship Under Wraps At First
The fun part of a new relationship is keeping it a secret for a couple of months and enjoying the time where the only people that know about it is yourself and your significant other. So, you keep your relationship on the down low before you let your family and friends know that you’re dating. It was no different for Ripa and Consuelos when they began dating soon after they met on the set of All My Children.
Though on the show, it took their characters a while to get together and fall in love, it didn’t take Ripa and Consuelos very long. "We fell in love long before our characters fell in love...but we were around each other a lot,” said Consuelos. Though the two were in love and very much together, they were not quick to let their co-stars know. They would go on dates in groups rather than alone, to avoid any speculation. Ripa and Consuelos were photographed together in Jamaica where they were shooting for All My Children. That caused a frenzy of speculation that they would soon be announcing the fact that they were dating. In reality, they had already been dating for many months and were far from the beginning stages of a relationship.
13 They're Good At Maintaining A Long-Distance Relationship
Though the challenges of maintaining a long-distance relationship are some that many individuals in the entertainment industry have to face, it is one that Ripa and Consuelos have gotten used to and adept at dealing with. The couple got a taste of navigating a long-distance relationship when Consuelos moved to Los Angeles to film Fox’s Pitch in 2016.
Not only did Consuelos move to Los Angeles, he brought his two eldest children Michael and Lola so that they would be able to find summer internships.
Since Ripa is often in New York filming her show Live with Kelly & Ryan, and Consuelos currently splits his time between New York and Vancouver where he films the CW’s Riverdale, the two have gotten used to the distance aspect in their marriage. When asked about how she deals with their long-distance relationship she said: “We're actors, we've done it for years. It's not hard. It's actually something we're quite good at." Clearly, these claims proved to be true when Ripa visited The Tonight Show and jokingly commented on the fact that she stays in New York while Consuelos when he films Riverdale in Vancouver saying, “He’s living his best life. He’s in Vancouver and he’s never looked better! He’s having the best time ever.” Though the couple is good at managing long distance, they still make efforts to visit one another whenever they can. Ripa visits Vancouver when she is not taping her show and often brings their children with her.
12 They're Not Afraid To Defend One Another
Unfortunately, the outcome of Ripa and Consuelos’ relaxing vacation in March of 2018 was anything but relaxing when Ripa faced major public scrutiny from Internet critics when Consuelos uploaded a picture of Ripa standing in the ocean in a bikini while the two were at the beach with the caption, “Sultry Sundays with the [attractive] one are my fave… [sic].”
While many commented that Ripa looked fantastic in the two-piece bathing suit, others were quick to shame her saying that she was too old to wear it, making comments like: “Kelly’s gorgeous, but isn’t there a cutoff age where age-appropriateness comes into play?” Some even said that Ripa was too skinny, commenting: “Just because you can rock a bikini, doesn’t mean you should.” These comments did not sit well with Consuelos, and though he tried his best to rise above the hateful comments, he could not refrain from giving the negative commenters a piece of his mind. Consuelos released a statement in defense of his wife saying that he posted the picture as a tribute to Ripa whom he loves and is proud of. He also said, “She works extremely hard in her professional life and her commitment to exercise, and a healthy diet is admirable and the benefits show. Yes, she’s wearing a bikini at age 47 and will no doubt wear one for many years to come.” Ripa responded to the matter in her usually comedic manner, saying on Watch What Happens Live “ I mean I wasn’t in a synagogue, I was at the beach,” and that if anyone came up with another clothing alternative for the beach, to let her know.
11 They Eloped And Got Married In Las Vegas
Rather than a traditional and extensively planned out wedding, Ripa and Consuelos were so in love that they couldn’t wait however many years it would take to plan and put together a wedding. Instead, they opted for a spontaneous wedding when they eloped to Las Vegas, Nevada.
After Consuelos proposed to Ripa over pizza and wine the night before, the couple flew to Las Vegas the next day to be married in a spontaneous wedding filled with nothing but love. At first, Ripa could not believe that Consuelos was being serious when he asked for her hand in marriage. She told Consuelos to ask her when he was seriously ready to get married. He responded: “'I am serious. Let's go to Vegas tomorrow and get married.” They found a little chapel in a phone book and got married there.
Instead of an extravagant designer dress with a major price tag that a celebrity would normally be expected to purchase for their wedding, Ripa wore a dress that cost her $199 which she purchased on sale for her big day.
Ripa told Us Weekly, “I didn't buy it as a wedding dress. I just bought it because it was really pretty, and I wanted to buy something from the Barney's Warehouse sale." After their wedding, the couple then visited Italy for a week as their honeymoon.
10 They're Not Scared To Share Their Secrets
Something that not many people know about Consuelos is that he worked as a night dancer before his acting career began, and it’s something he shared with his wife, which she eventually shared with the world in an interview with Vanity Fair saying: “A lot of hot guys in Hollywood have done that. He was straight out of college — he went to Notre Dame but he finished his degree at the University of South Florida. So, there he was in South Florida. He's gorgeous [and], looking to break into show business. So, he started off as a roadie to a group of these guys, and then they talked him into [night dancing]." Consuelos not only shared this with Ripa but with her parents as well. Ripa says that her parents were not bothered by Consuelos’ former line of work and that they simply adored him.
Ripa had secrets of her own that she did not hesitate in sharing when she met Consuelos, most likely because they were about him. Ripa remembers seeing Consuelos for the first time and being “thunderstruck”. Ripa approached Consuelos a day after their first time meeting, only to tell him about a dream she had about him: “The next day I went up to him and, although I didn't even know his name, I said: 'I had a dream about you last night. We were married and had a little girl and were on a plane to Rome.'”
9 Working Together Isn't Always The Best Idea
Ripa and Consuelos have worked together on other projects and television shows over the years since leaving All My Children in 2001. In 2007, the couple formed their own production company called Milojo, which they named after their three children. The company has produced a handful of projects, with their 2008 documentary called The Streak, being nominated for an Emmy. Consuelos even guest starred on Ripa’s television sitcom Hope & Faith in 2005-2006 for 10 episodes. It’s fair to say that the couple has worked together for a significant amount of time over the course of their relationship.
However, they don’t think that all of their work endeavors are meant to be shared.
Consuelos appeared as Ripa’s guest co-host on her show a little over 60 times between 2005 and 2018.
During a portion of that time, she was searching for another individual to permanently fill Regis Philbin’s position once he had left the show. While Ripa may enjoy having her husband on as a guest co-host from time to time, she and Consuelos didn’t necessarily think that it would be the best working arrangement for their marriage. In a 2012 interview with Vanity Fair Ripa said: “No one would make me happier than Mark, but he values our marriage and he says that he doesn’t see how we could stay married and both do that show.”
8 It’s Not Always Paradise
As picture perfect as their relationship may appear, it has not always been smooth sailing. Like any normal couple, Ripa and Consuelos have had their fair share of arguments and rough patches, some of which could have potentially ended their marriage! Ripa confessed in a 2006 interview that the couple came to a few moments in their marriage where “it could've gone either way." Clearly, they pushed through and stuck by one another, resulting in one of Hollywood’s longest married couples.
The couple notes that they’ve had “ups and downs just like anybody else." They have accumulated experience, which they have turned into advice that they would give newly-married couples today. In terms of the early stages of marriage, Ripa abides by the saying “this too shall pass.” “The phrase… is such an important phrase when you're in your early wedding years. Every argument, every disagreement, seems like the end of the universe and it really isn't." She also advised not to bottle things up, and to speak if something is wrong: “Don't be a bottler; you'll explode. If something bothers me, I just say it, no harm, no foul.” She also assures that it is not only normal but that it is perfectly fine to argue. She says that she and Consuelos still fight, but that they are secure enough in their marriage to know that they will get past it. “I don’t feel like if we have an argument, it will be the end of our lives.” So what is the one thing that still angers Ripa despite all these years of happiness and love? “I am openly hostile when Mark leaves the toilet seat up.”
7 They Flaunt Their Relationship On Social Media
The only thing cuter than flaunting your spouse on social media is when you do it shamelessly, and that’s exactly what Ripa and Consuelos do. Both Ripa and Consuelos have Instagram accounts, with a total 2.8 million followers between them. On there, they share everything from pictures of their children, behind the scenes action of projects they work on and events they attend, and last but not least: appreciation posts for one another.
From silly to stunning photos, the couple certainly is neither afraid nor embarrassed to show their followers and the rest of the world exactly how much it is they love each other.
When Ripa got her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, Consuelos posted a picture to his account of he and Ripa laying on the red carpet next to her star on October 12, 2015, with a caption that read “Sooo proud of you @kellyripa [sic]...so well deserved...xoxxo” Though the couple typically posts pictures where they are both in the photo (they’re definitely not strangers to taking selfies), there are quite a few solo pictures floating around on their feed as well. On April 23, 2018, Ripa snapped a picture of Consuelos while they were on their morning run in New York City, captioning it:” Sunrise run with my cohost in life and this morning. @instasuelos [sic] here comes the sun.”
6 Communication Is The Key To Their Happiness
Another instrumental factor in the longevity of Ripa and Consuelos’ marriage is that they base their relationship on communication. Like most couples, they believe that the most effective way at attaining a healthy and happy marriage is through a constant flow of communication with your spouse.
In a 2010 interview, Ripa stated that the key to keeping her relationship with Consuelos in check is by constantly communicating how she feels. “I think he would say that I talk too much—endlessly. If the two of us go out to dinner, I feel the need to talk. He thinks we can sit and enjoy the ambiance of the room—just have a cocktail and bask in each other's glow. I feel the need to hash things out: 'Can you believe what our kids did today? I feel like you're not listening to me. Are you listening to me?' I'm entirely too verbal with him." She also has said that she repeats affirmations to Consuelos, things she loves about him and that she tries to remind him every day of what a good husband he is. “He’s a dream come true. He’s a real gentleman, he’s a real protector, provider, and he’s a great father and a friend to me—he’s my friend. I just sort of tell him that every day.”
5 They Keep The Love Alive
If there is one thing that Ripa and Consuelos have mastered over the course of their 22 year-long marriage, it’s how to keep things interesting and keep their marriage flourishing. Their secret? They make time for one another in order to nurture their relationship so that it keeps growing stronger.
In a 2010 interview with Good Houskeeping, Ripa explained that she and Consuelos truly make time to spend time together, and through doing this, it affects other areas of their relationship, like parenting, in positive ways.
“We carve out time for ourselves. I think that we're better parents because date night gives us something to look forward to, a night where we're not saying, 'Put that down, stop touching her, don't spill that.' Sometimes we'll put the kids to bed early and watch 'Jersey Shore' on DVR. It can be that simple, just the two of us, alone, one day a week, for dinner and hijinks."
Ripa also credits one on one time as one of the major factors that keep her marriage alive and healthy saying that the two try doing “spicy things together all the time.” But when it comes down to it, they just enjoy being with one another. “We just like each other a lot. love my husband. I think he's awesome.”
4 They're Devoted To Family Life
Often times, we hear about celebrities leaving their children to grow up in the care of nannies and help staff that they’ve hired so they can go out and enjoy the luxurious life of a Hollywood star. Ripa and Consuelos certainly don’t abide by this mentality of parenting, because they are extremely devoted to their family and are adamant about being present in the lives of their children, no matter how busy they are.
This includes making the time to eat dinner together as a family as often as they could. In an interview with ABC News, Ripa explained that Consuelos insisted that their family gather to eat dinner together, the same way he did when he was growing up: “My husband had dinner as a family every night growing up and he was like, ‘We are having family dinner every night, no matter what, and we do that. It means so much to the kids, it means so much to me.” Ripa admitted that, despite the best of intentions, sometimes their family dinners don’t always go to plan. The family also makes an effort to go on vacations together, which are usually documented on Instagram, and spend holidays together as often as they can.
3 They Keep In Shape Together
Every couple has different activities that they like to do when they want to spend quality time together. Some like going for dinner, going for walks, or even watching a movie together.
Ripa and Consuelos prefer to get a little sweaty by working out and trying different methods of exercise together as well as leading a healthy and balanced diet to keep their bodies toned and trim.
Ripa and Consuelos showed the world how they achieve their toned physiques and stay in shape when they posted pictures to their Instagram accounts of them trying some fun and new exercise regimes and activities when they visited the Bahamas for the weekend to celebrate their 22 years of marriage in May of 2018. They snapped some pictures of them doing acro yoga, a combination of yoga poses and acrobatics, and even shared a couple of the poses they tried with their social media followers. Ripa tagged the yoga studio that helped them learn the new exercise method in a humorous caption on her Instagram photo that read: “Relationships are all about trust and flexibility, or something like that. Thanks, @yogatambahamas [sic] for keeping it unreal.” The couple sometimes also documents portions of their workout on their Instagram stories, so fans can witness them in all their sweaty and muscular glory.
2 They Had Their First Child After A Year Of Marriage
It seems like every part of the first stages of Ripa and Consuelos’ relationship was initially on the fast track. It took them no time at all to fall in love. They got married in the blink of an eye, and after only a year of marriage, they would begin to grow their family with the birth of their first son, Michael.
Michael was born in 1997, a year after Ripa and Consuelos had married in Las Vegas. Since his birth, the couple has had two more children: Lola who was born in 2001, and the youngest of the three Joaquin who was born in 2003. In a 2015 interview, Ripa gushed about the impact of All My Children, and how it was the show that allowed her to meet Consuelos, and gave her the beautiful family she has today: “It all began with All My Children. All My Children is where I met the man that I've been married to for almost 20 years, the love of my life, the man who taught me how to be a person—really, a real person—and we have three of the most beautiful children, that I'm so proud of, on the planet.”
1 Montreal Holds A Very Special Place In Their Relationship
The French-Canadian city of Montreal is not only famous for breeding successful celebrities like Celine Dion, Simple Plan, and Justin Trudeau, but it attracts them as well. Many stars have visited Montreal for work, pleasure, or both and developed an affinity for the Canadian province. Ripa and Consuelos are no exception.
Ripa and Consuelos have publicly declared their love for Montreal, a city that they visit frequently. In 2015, Ripa spoke about her and Consuelos’ love for Montreal: “If you're going to Canada, you must, must stop by Montreal…I love Montreal…” Ripa explained the reason as to why the city held such an importance to her and Consuelos when she explained that it was the couple’s anniversary destination for a long time:
“…It holds a very special place in my heart, in our hearts—Mark and me—we used to go there every year for our wedding anniversary…until we kept getting pregnant there!"
Ripa added that she and Consuelos would “always have so much fun” whenever they would visit. Ripa loves Montreal so much, that when asked what she would eat as her last meal she chose Poutine, a Montreal delicacy that consists of French fries topped with gravy and cheese curds, which she says is “delicious. Poutine is amazing.”
References: Youtube.com, Eonline.com, Instagram, Sheknows.com, People.com, Onairwithryan.iheart.com, Huffingtonpost.ca, Closerweekly.com, Bc.ctvnews.ca, 1iota.com, Thisisinsider.com, Goodhousekeeping.com, Imdb.com, Womansday.com, Heavy.com, Littlethings.com
