Kelly Ripa Opens Up About Mark Consuelos Making Their Marriage 'Very Hard'

Ashabi Azeez
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos
Getty | Jeff Kravitz

Kelly Ripa keeps it real when it comes to her marriage and family life. In her latest bombshell reveal, the star opened up on the earlier difficult times of her union with Mark Consuelos.

Kelly Ripa On the Earlier Times In Her Marriage

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos
Flickr | afiqnadzir

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos have come a long way to becoming one of Hollywood's beloved power couples, but this significant achievement did not come without their fair share of marital struggles. In the preview of the latest episode of her new Sirius XM show, Let's Talk Off Camera, Ripa bared it all on a personality flaw her spouse dealt with at the early stage of their marriage.

Ripa Revealed Mark's Tendency To Be Jealous

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos
Flickr | cengnews0

The TV star started by stating that it was quite "hard" being married to a person who gets jealous. She noted that her husband showed such traits ad coming to terms with it, was "a hard pill to swallow." She recalled that the Riverdale star had revealed his jealous tendencies to her one week after their 1996 wedding.

She Recalled An Incident

Kelly Ripa
Flickr | Guild Hall

The Live! With Kelly And Ryan star opened up about the first time her husband's jealousy reared its head. She recalled how they had gone to an Italian restaurant and her exchange with the waiter got Mark riled up. Ripa explained, "We went to this Italian restaurant and the waiter was this very cute old man. He was definitely in his 70s if not 80s, and he leaned down and he said, ‘And for the Principessa?'” Ripa added that her spouse would later pick a "horrible fight" with her because she gave her order in a "very smiley way."

Mark Attested To It

Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa
Flickr | bertil67

Mark, who was on the show with her acknowledged that he remembered the incident. He joked about being '"pretty insane" at the time being married at 25. He noted that the "jealousy thing" followed him for a while until it stopped.

Mark Is Said To Have Outgrown The Trait

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos
Flickr | nedkovazanina

At one point the longtime lovebirds agreed that the TV actor managed to outgrow the jealousy tendencies. Mark credited the work he did on himself over the years as he managed to improve.

Ripa Recalled Praying Away His Character Flaw

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos
Flickr | 4chionlifestyle

Ripa addressed the love of her life, and latest Live! co-host letting him know that she was grateful that phase was over. The All My Children actress revealed that at the time she dealt with the trait, she often prayed that her husband would lose the "personality flaw."

Their Latest Power Couple Achievement

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos
Flickr | paulandwilliams

Last month, the pair were in the news after it was announced that Mark would be joining his life as the latest co-host on Live! In her Instagram announcement, Ripa poked light fun at her man stating, "@instasuelos welcome home, or to the contractual obligation phase of our relationship."

He Replaced Ryan Seacrest

Mark Consuelos
Flickr | paulandwilliams

The announcement of Mark's presence as the new co-host of the long-running show saw him replace TV star, Ryan Seacrest. By the time his stint goes underway, the show will be renamed Live With Kelly and Mark. On her Instagram post, Ripa also shared a farewell message to her TV colleague, Seacrest.

Mark is No Newbie

Mark Consuelos
Flickr | Sharon Graphics

Prior to being unveiled as the new co-host of Live!, Mark appeared on the show many times. Even when Seacrest had to be away for a long while, he filled in for him from time to time. It is safe to say that his transition as a permanent host will be smooth.

When Did Ripa And Mark Meet?

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos
Flickr | GLAAD

Ripa and Mark met as young actors in 1995 on the set of All My Children. The couple played lovers Hayley Vaughan and Mateo Santos, and with time the onscreen chemistry extended to real-life. They dated for almost a year before moving on to the next phase

They Eloped After One Year

Kelly Ripa
Flickr | zoar22

Ripa and Mark are famous for being a power couple and their love story has gained momentum over time. The pair's wedding happened after they eloped to Vegas on a random work-free day. According to Ripa, they briefly broke up and by the time they got back together, Mark proposed. The duo jetted off to Vegas and tied the knot in a wedding that cost $179.

Ripa On Their Whirlwind Wedding Ceremony

Kelly Ripa
Flickr | GussetLuvr 69

Once in a 2022 episode of Live, the 52-year-old recalled how her wedding went. Ripa describe the occasion as a "very normal, very regular wedding," She noted that it was really an efficient way to get married, and it was also fun.

Why They Decided To Elope

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos
Flickr | 4chionlifestyle

Still speaking about the abrupt decision to get married, the actress relayed that she and mark happened to have two days off work at the same time. She stated, "Two consecutive days off from work, both on the same day. And it was like, 'Let's go to Vegas and get married and it'll be fun.'" 

Inside Their Life As Parents

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos
Flickr | gossipcop

One year after their whirlwind wedding ceremony, Mark and Ripa became first-time parents. They welcomed their first child Michael Consuelos and over the years the now 26-year-old has made his parents proud. Ripa once told People her son has "the strongest moral compass."

Their Other Kids

Kelly Ripa and her kids
Flickr | HOLLYWOOD KIDS

On June 16, 2001, the loved-up couple welcomed their second child, Lola. Lola's birth came with an amazingly swift recovery for the anchor who showed up for work moments after giving birth. The couple's youngest child is Joaquin born in 2003. According to the couple, their youngest child always keeps them on their toes.

What The Couple Has Said About Marriage

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos
Flickr | Humsafar news

The duo has opened up on their over two-decade marriage and they describe their union as a traditional one. Mark stated that his wife "makes a home a home." He noted that while he and Ripa consider themselves a politically progressive couple, they are "almost old-fashioned" when it came to marriage.

Ripa Was The Nurturer Of Her Kids

Kelly Ripa
Flickr | Celebrities2019

Because of the couple's traditional arrangement, Ripa got to stay back at home to take care of their kids while Consuelos handled his rigorous work schedule and travels. She however added that it was a compromise for Consuelos, and sometimes he missed the important moments in their kids' lives.

How To Make A Marriage Last

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos
Flickr | Hardcore Shutterbug

Once sharing her marriage nuggets, Ripa shared the advice she would give newlyweds. She dove into reality talk stating that there would be fights and arguments from time to time. She relayed that relationships and marriage weren't "sprints, but marathons." She noted that the way to move past hitches was through reevaluation and acceptance.

Ripa On Raising Her Kids

Kelly Ripa
Flickr | cengnews0

The star has made it known that over the years after raising boys and girls, she did not have any gender stereotypes, but she had definitive ideas on raising both genders. Ripa stated that her sons were just as sensitive as her daughter.