Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos Finally Open Up About the Struggles in Their Relationship

Kelly and Mark are Hollywood's perfect couple. They met young, married, had three children, and co-hosted "Live with Kelly and Mark." Kelly Ripa was born in Berlin, New Jersey on October 2, 1970. She graduated from Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees Township, New Jersey. Her drama teacher encouraged her to act. Kelly wanted to be a newscaster, but in 1986, she was a regular dancer on Dancin' on Air, which became Dance Party USA. In 1990, Ripa played Haley Vaughan on All My Children. Mark Consuelos was born in Spain on March 30, 1971. He is Italian and Mexican and grew up in Italy, Illinois, and Florida. Mark attended Notre Dame but then attended USF, where he got a marketing degree in 1994. The following year, Consuelos played Mateo Santos, Haley Vaughan's love interest. He had to win over the casting director. By the time Mark auditioned for All My Children, Kelly had been playing Haley Vaughan for five years. The casting director loved Mark's picture. Kelly liked Mark's picture, but he didn't. He just wanted the part. Years later, he said, "I just wanted the job." "I was lucky." Mark said, "She was beautiful, funny, and clever." "If I argued with her, I'd lose." In February 1995, Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa auditioned for All My Children. Mark wasn't the only one trying out; nine others also tried out for the role. The two actors were great. The producers found him, and Kelly saw her future husband. It took him a while to agree. Mark and Kelly started dating in 1996. They were seen together in Jamaica, and the media reported that they were dating. The couple went public at the Soap Opera Digest Awards. In April 1996, Kelly and Mark planned to marry. They broke up before getting married. Mark asked Kelly to marry him again at one of the world's most famous places. This time, it worked. The next day, they flew to Vegas. Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa married on May 1, 1996, using the phone book to find a chapel. They honeymooned in Rome and Capri. Mark told Soap Opera Digest, "Italy was perfect." Today, many couples come from different cultures. Some people didn't like interracial marriages when Haley and Mateo and Kelly and Mark got together in the mid-90s. Mark is Mexican and Italian. Mark and Kelly Ripa were Hollywood's first interracial couple. They loved each other and didn't know it was a problem. Kelly and Mark had a perfect Hollywood relationship. Mark changed after they got married. He was jealous. They had their first child, Michael, on June 2, 1997. Michael has a degree in film from NYU. He wanted to be a screenwriter and director but became an actor. Michael became an actor like his parents. He starred in The Bensonhurst Spelling Bee, The Goldbergs, and Let's Get Physical (2022). He played his dad on Riverdale. Second child: Daughter Lola, born June 16, 2001. Lola graduated from NYU's Clive Davis Institute. She studied in London for a semester. Lola lives with her parents in a $27 million townhouse on the Upper East Side of New York. She plans to be a musician. Third child On February 24, 2003, they had another son. They named him Joaquin because a cab driver in New York City was watching Gladiator with Joaquin Phoenix on a tiny TV. It's a joke! It's just a pretty name. Joaquin had trouble reading and writing as a child and was diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia. Joaquin Consuelos graduated from high school and went to college out of state. In 2007, the couple started their company, Milojo, using their children's names. Their company has grown. They make documentaries for Disney+, Bravo, VH1, E!, Food Network, Discovery, and many others. They've made "Masters of Reception," "Homefront Millionaire," "Fire Island," and more. Kelly makes $22 million a year from her show Live With Kelly. Kelly is worth $120 million, and Mark is $40 million. Mark and Kelly talked about their wild bedroom antics. Kelly and Mark embarrassed their fellow hosts but intrigued viewers with their views on love and marriage. In 2020, ABC considered making a new version of All My Children. Mark Consuelos, Kelly Ripa, and Leo Richardson from EastEnders were in charge. The new version is about a young journalist who comes to Pine Valley to expose its dark history. The reboot is still being made. It will star Consuelos and Ripa. In 2022, Kelly wrote a memoir called Live Wire—Short Stories, which became a bestseller. The book is about the daytime talk show host. In 2022, Kelly found out her husband had a superpower before her 50th birthday. He treats her like the only person in the world. "Mark makes me feel special, beautiful, and young," she told ET Canada. Kelly said she and Mark Consuelos were too young to get married at 25. She told People magazine, "It didn't work out, but we tried." Mark replaced Ryan Seacrest in April 2023. Kelly told People, "I'm lucky to have Mark by my side." We're lucky. "It's going to be wild!" Mark said, "I've filled in for her many times and loved it." "I feel safe with Kelly."