With 24 years of marriage under their belts, it's easy to see that talk show host Kelly
Ripa and actor Mark Consuelos have an undeniable bond that's withstood the test of time.
They also have adorable on-screen chemistry. Every time Mark stands in for his wife's co-host
Ryan Seacrest on Live with Kelly and Ryan the on-screen sparks are undeniable. However,
it wasn't always this way. In fact, as the pair once revealed, they briefly broke up
the day before they got married!
Kelly said in an interview with the Comments by Celebs podcast,
"We broke up and we got back together the day before we went off and eloped. He popped
the question the day before we got married, but that day, that very day that we got back
together, we were at a taping of Regis and Kathie Lee."
Kelly explained that, as part of the show's Mother's Day special, one honoree wanted to
meet the pair, who played her favorite characters on the soap opera All My Children. But, as
Mark told Watch What Happens Live's Andy Cohen, Kelly gave him the silent treatment during
the segment, which he said drove him a little crazy. So he rolled the dice and followed
her from the set to Central Park, where he apparently got the situation under control.
"In Central Park, I stalked her, and then we went back to my place, and we got married
the next day."
"It wasn't a big breakup!"
While neither has provided too much insight into what sparked this momentary breakup,
the co-stars reconciled and eloped in Las Vegas the next day.
As Kelly told Vanity Fair, their soap opera characters had already walked down the aisle
multiple times — in real life, one trip to the altar did the trick!
For Kelly and Mark, life imitated art, with their All My Children characters Hayley and
Mateo living out their own love story on-screen. But while soap operas are known for their
constant turmoil, the pair mastered the art of real-life marriage. As Mark told Esquire,
they recognize that happiness requires constant learning. He explained,
"I guess sometimes you see these public marriages end and you wonder, 'Really? You're going
to quit now? It's just been a couple of years, maybe you should try to stick it out.' It's
kind of great to have a life together with someone."
Kelly echoed this sentiment during an episode of Live with Kelly and Ryan, when she told
viewers that although there'll be fights and disagreements, relationships and marriages
aren't sprints — they're marathons. As she put it,
"There's going to be like, mile 24, when you're like, 'I quit.' But you just got to push through.
[...] You're going to fundamentally not agree on things. And if you take a breath, you usually
can't remember what you're fighting about."
It helps that these two are still "crazy" about each other! Where can we find this kind
of love?
After 24 years together, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos might seem like they have marriage
figured out. But, as the couple told Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue, that wasn't always
the case.
In an excerpt from Thomas and Donahue's book, What Makes a Marriage Last, Mark revealed
his jealous streak almost got the best of him during the first years of their marriage.
He recalled,
"After we were married, I was doing a show in Boston, and I couldn't get a hold of her
all day. We didn't have cell phones then. I got a really bad feeling. So I got on a
flight to New York and called her from the plane and asked her what she was doing that
night."
Kelly noted Mark thought her response sounded fishy — she told him she planned to clean
the toilets — so he devised a plan to catch her in a lie. It didn't work. Kelly recounted
the failed scheme to the authors, saying,
"So he gets home and tells the doorman to call up to the apartment and tell me there's
a flower delivery. I'm excited because I'm thinking, 'Oh my gosh, he's sending me flowers!'
Meanwhile, I have a johnny mop in one hand, and I'm wearing a bathrobe."
When Mark showed up at her door instead of the flower guy, Kelly was shocked. Mark, on
the other hand, quickly recognized his mistake. Thankfully, he learned his lesson, and says
he now trusts his wife implicitly.
All My Children fans already know Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos met in the '90s during
his screen test for the popular daytime drama. However, Kelly sensed he'd become her love
interest on-screen and in real life from his headshot alone.
She told SiriusXM's Bruce Bozzi in 2018,
"I was not a hopeless romantic. I never thought about getting married, it never occurred to
me that I would grow old with someone. [...] When I saw him, the photograph of him, I saw my
entire future with him."
Now, however, Kelly does acknowledge one critical weakness in their marriage. By a cruel twist
of fate, they apparently can't hold hands very well. And it's not for lack of trying.
She told PureWow in February 2020,
"We don't have hand-holding compatibility. So, when we hold hands it's very awkward,
even in a car. Because his forearm is so much longer than my forearm, to hold his hand I
have to bend it in half. It's an indicator that we're not meant for marriage."
While we must admit this looks mighty uncomfortable, it's probably not grounds for divorce. Plus,
we'd be heartbroken if this hilarious pair split!
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