Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos are about to become empty nesters. Last week, they celebrated as their baby boy Joaquin Antonio Consuelos graduated from high school. Ripa has always been an open book, sharing updates about her family via social media—and needless to say, she’s beaming with pride about her son’s next moves. Learn more about Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos’ kids, and find out what the future holds for Joaquin.
Mark Consuelos And Kelly Ripa Have Three Kids
Consuelos and Ripa met in the mid-1990s when they played spouses on the soap opera All My Children. The two had natural chemistry on screen, but Ripa revealed she had her sights set on her future husband before they even met.
“I saw my husband in a photograph before I saw him [in real life]. I knew when I saw his photograph,” she said in an episode of Lunch with Bruce on Radio Andy in 2018.
“[The casting director] showed me his picture and, Bruce, I’m not this person, at that point 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 flash before — like I saw it.”
Things moved quickly for the couple. A little over a year after they met, they eloped in Las Vegas. The following year, Ripa gave birth to their first child, son Michael Joseph. Daughter Lola followed in 2001, and Joaquin was born in 2003.
Consuelos and Ripa celebrated 25 years of marriage in May. And despite constant rumors that their marriage is on the rocks, they’ve never shown anything less than a united front. At the very least, they are equally committed to their kids and take every opportunity to boast about the kids’ achievements.
Joaquin Antonio Consuelos Is A Student And A Wrestler
Joaquin’s graduation was extra special for the Consuelos family because he overcame major obstacles to get there. In February, Ripa revealed on Live with Kelly and Ryan that her youngest son has dyslexia and dysgraphia—learning differences that make reading and writing challenging tasks.
She said Joaquin managed to finish school “through hard work, determination, [and] remediation.” She also called his difference a blessing because it helped him develop other important skills.
“Kids with dyslexia learn how to read the room, they pick up on social cues … their other skills become [stronger],” she said.
Joaquin also found other avenues in which he excelled, such as athletics. He was a star wrestler in high school, and his parents often attended his matches. But perhaps they were a little too involved in his work outside the classroom—in 2019, Mark Consuelos was forced off the mat after confronting his son’s opponent for foul play.
Joaquin is headed to the University of Michigan in the fall, where he will join the school’s wrestling team.
“Mark and I were FaceTiming the other night… Mark got very emotional, and very choked up,” said Ripa. “Because he said, ‘You know, I never thought he would be able to go to college.'”
Kelly Ripa Says ‘The Third Kid Is The Best Kid’
Michael graduated from New York University in 2020 with a film degree, and Lola is currently studying music at the same school. There’s no doubt that Ripa is proud of them, but she has a special place in her heart for Joaquin.
“I hope my other kids are not watching this, but they’re not [easy to handle,]” she said in a recent episode of Live with Kelly and Ryan. “Here’s what: [the] third kid is the best kid. They sleep, they do their homework, they pick their crap up off the floor… they just know they’ve got to give you a break.”
Ripa was just being playful, of course. But one thing she’s not joking about is her eagerness for the kids to fly the coop. On an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, she told the host that she sets firm boundaries for the kids now that they’re young adults. She specifically told her eldest son Michael that he was welcome to come home during “regular visiting hours?Thanksgiving, Christmas, that’s it. Your dad and I need to rediscover each other.”
We wish Joaquin well as he heads off to Michigan, but congrats are also in order for his parents. We hope they enjoy their time together as they celebrate their silver anniversary.