Kelly Ripa is definitely not smiling as a couch selfie shows her and husband Mark Consuelos coming to terms with their “empty nest” situation. The 50-year-old daytime TV host is fresh from an Instagram update marking youngest son Joaquin Consuelos‘ departure to college, and it looks like she and Mark, also 50, are feeling it.
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Kelly’s 2.9 million followers saw her makeup-free and in her thick-rimmed glasses, with an expression of sadness and a blank face seeming to sum it up – actor Mark, meanwhile, looked almost taken aback by it all.
Kelly Ripa & Mark Consuelos Handle ‘Emtpy Nest’
The photo has now gone viral. It showed the Live! With Kelly and Ryan star in a simple sweatshirt as she wore her hair down and looked, well, pretty down. The former sitcom star, gazing up ahead, had Mark in a white tee next to her – the couple this year celebrating 25 years of marriage seemed ill-at-ease.
“So far we are crushing this empty nest thing,” Kelly wrote with a wobbly-face emoji. Joaquin, 18, is the third of Kelly and Mark’s children to have flown the nest. The two are also parents to Lola Grace, 20, and Michael, 24.
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The comments section has since exploded, with fans and celebrities replying. Leading the way is 58-year-old reality star Lisa Rinna, with the Bravo star sending heart emoji as she wrote: “Omg sending so much love.” Meanwhile, Kelly and Mark’s son Michael replied: “I had almost no doubt.” A big “awwwww” came in from Bravo host Andy Cohen, although actress Naomi Watts saw the humorous side as she said: “Omg so funny and sorry. It must hurt bad.”
Proud parents Kelly and Mark seem to have a right back ‘atcha situation with their kids, although Lola is no fan of her mom’s “thirst trap” photos of Mark – last year, she called them “disgusting.” Michael has also spoken out over his parents’ long-lasting marriage, telling Entertainment Tonight:
“One hundred percent they’re relationship goals, and it’s weird because I’ve been with them the longest.” He added: “They’re great, not just in like a relationship sense, but they’re great role models. I try to conduct myself the way I think they would.”
25 Years Of Marriage
Kelly and Mark met on the set of All My Children, eloping to Las Vegas in 1996, and the rest is history. Earlier this year, and to celebrate 25 years of marriage to Spanish-born Mark, Kelly got a tiny wrist tattoo of her wedding date. The star last year joked that marriage is a “marathon” while addressing viewers.