Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos are one of these rare perfect celebrity couples.
They met on the set of All My Children in 1995, and the chemistry between them was immediate! They wasted no time and tied the knot in 1996. The couple welcomed their first child, son Michael, in 1997, followed by daughter Lola (b. 2001) and son Joaquin (b. 2003).
May 1 is a special day for Kelly and Mark: on May 1 this year, the couple will celebrate their 23rd wedding anniversary. Their fans are fascinated by their love story and many of them wonder: what keeps the spark alive in their marriage?
Mark and Kelly’s strong union defies all stereotypes about marriages between celebs. How do they make it work?
In a new interview with Esquire, the Riverdale star admitted that he still doesn’t have it all figured out. When asked if he could offer any advice to other married couples, the actor said:
I'm an incredibly slow learner, so I feel like I'm just getting it. Like ‘Oh, this is what you're supposed to do,’ or, ‘OK, sometimes yes means no.’ After 23 years, I'm just learning that—so no, I don't think I could give anybody advice.
But if he does have any wisdom to share, it's this: if there are any problems in marriage that can be fixed, work on them instead of just giving up:
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. Of course, I'm not supporting staying in a horrible marriage. I'm just saying, if you can, maybe wait until it calms down a little bit. Wait until the magic happens.
When asked about his own marriage to Kelly, Mark said he’s simply grateful for her and the life they’ve built together:
It happens throughout, I think. It's the simple moments—the really simple, not extravagant times. I'm just looking at this life that we created together. In a movie, it would be that moment where the husband kind of looks around and is looking at his wife and kids and you're here, you're in this beautiful place. And you think, ‘I'm just a kid from Southern Illinois and Tampa. How did I get all of this?
After so many years together, Mark’s feelings for Kelly haven’t faded: he’s still as in love with her as he was two decades ago!
Earlier this year, the actor spoke to Fox News and called his wife his “best friend”. He also said they both put family first:
I’m crazy about my wife. We both come from families, our parents are still together – family is super important to us. We have three great kids, and that also bonds you, having that experience together.
Aren’t they lovely?